Battle Spirits Resurgence - EP0: Start Living Again
by Vega Elettra
Summary: After the return from the future, Mai, Kenzo and Hideto's life as Bearers of Core's Light is a closed chapter. Until the past comes back to visit them in an unexpected way: a person in a coma who will change everything. Will Mai find the courage to duel again? Will Kenzo and Hideto be able to help her? To start living again they'll have to find the strength to face it together...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The sky was hazy blue, the air heavy and fat clouds hedged at the horizon. Summer was not over yet, but the first signs of approaching autumn were visible in the early tired leaves which, yellowed before time, felt off quietly from the still green branches.

That day, the neatly paved paths of the cemetery were almost empty. Everything seemed motionless in the sleepy air of the morning. The lazy swirls of the incense rose from the gravestones and dispersed in the sky.

Only a girl, mindless of the increasing heat, was knelt in front of a gravestone, hands clasped close to her chest and eyes closed. A six-coloured bouquet, a mix of red and purple, yellow and blue, white and green, was laid next to a photo and some incense sticks. Her shoulder-length purple hair, being held by a pink hairpin on the left temple, were moved softly by the breeze.

After a long time, Mai lowered her hands to her knees and opened her eyes. Her gaze moved at once to the photo. There, a boy with unruly red hair and a deck in hand smiled at her, uncaring of her sadness. With her fingerprints, she brushed the photo and found herself squeezing her eyelids to keep from crying. Breathing in, she stood up and rubbed the back of her hand against her eyes.

"We'd still need you so much, Dan", she whispered turning towards the sea, peeking behind the hills and the city. A stronger gust of wind raised some leaves, swiping them in a chaotic dance.

Mai went back to look at the gravestone and started to fiddle with a lock of hair.

"Hideto, Kenzo and I are doing our best, but-" she snorted and fixed the lock behind her ear, "- step by step, we'll do it. I'm sure. Then Magisa…"

She smiled tenderly and shook her head. She clenched her hand on the golden and amethyst pendant she wore around her neck.

"You were a hero. I'll be as great as you, just wait and see. I'll fight for you too, Dan."

With that promise gifted to the wind, almost hoping that, somehow, it'll reach him, Mai turned and started to walk back along the paths, lulled by the peacefulness of that place. Peacefulness that often she had struggled to grab in those years, with Grand Lolo, with the future and with everything that happened.

Some rows further, an old man was burning some incense near a gravestone. Another one who, like her, preferred to honour a loved one rather than catch the last bits of summer. A new gust of wind shook her hair, dropping a lock before her eyes, and she found herself thinking about how many seasons will pass, even now that Dan was gone. Maybe until the day she'd stop hurting inside, maybe until they'd be able to let everyone know the truth.

She resumed walking, determined to not look back again, and her gaze was drawn to a third person among those paths. There was a girl, maybe slightly older than her, kneeling some meters away from her. She had brown hair gathered in a braid and a bright yellow dress, almost clashing against the slumber of that place.

Mai stopped, deciding to wait, granting her a bit of privacy, and wondered who she might have come to honour. The girl stood up abruptly, and she started, her surprise growing when the girl hurried away checking her surroundings. Mai pretended to look at the nearest gravestone.

When the girl put some distance between them, she couldn't suppress her curiosity anymore and edged near the empty place. Near the gravestone, Mai checked one last time to not have been spotted.

She lowered her gaze and noticed a bouquet of roses. White blossoms wrapped in thin green paper. She felt an unexpected stab in the stomach. She looked at the photo and clutched the handle of her bag: there was the face of a teen, pale skin, long light green hair and enigmatic smile. Mai blanched and felt her throat dry.

"Momose Kajitsu."

She started running down the paths before she knew it. The girl's shoulders were still visible, but she couldn't let her slip by; if she had known the Momose siblings, she needed to know it. Halved the distance, Mai saw her picking up the pace. Mai felt her temples throbbing, sweat dripping down her neck but didn't slow down; she grabbed her arm before the girl fled.

"Wait!"

The girl turned, the braid slapping her back, and tried to break free. "Get off me!"

Mai panted, out of breath, but didn't let go even when the girl struck her wrist with her free hand. Mai wanted to reassure her, but she still had not enough breath to replay.

"Get off, or I'm starting to scream!"

"Please", uttered Mai with a tentative smile. "I only want to ask you a question."

The girl stopped struggling but her eyes continued to scrutinize her warily, every muscle of her body ready to bolt at the earliest opportunity.

"Did you know Momose Kajitsu? And her brother Yuuki? Did you know them?"

The girl widened her eyes. Mai opened the mouth to reassure her again, but she pulled free from her hold, turned and darted for the exit. The Purple Soldier took a few seconds to recover from the surprise and to run after her, berating over and over against her own stupidity.

The gate outlined a few paces from them. If they left that place, she'd lose her.

"Please! I was their friend. I need to know!"

The girl halted. When their eyes met, Mai saw incredulity. She slowed down.

"Did you really know them?"

Her voice was hesitant, almost afraid to betray too much. But there was also a trace of hope. Mai stopped and nodded slowly, starting to fiddle with a lock of hair. The girl moved closer, studying her face.

"Are you Viole Mai? _The Purple Talk_?"

That name, that blog, struck a chord in her heart, pulling out old memories. She stifled a gasp and closed her eyes. It was daunting that people still recognized her for her alter ego, the sassy teen who wanted to become a star of the web.

"Yes, it's me. Although now I'm only Shinomiya Mai."

On the girl's face appeared a huge smile, all the doubts previously present evaporated. She grabbed Mai's hand, taking her by surprise.

"You are a Bearer of Core's Light! Oh, you don't know how happy I am to have met you!"

Mai blinked, unsure of which was the best course of action. The abrupt mood shift of the now bubbling girl was baffling, the first one in a long time to be so thrilled to meet one of them.

"I really wanted to look for you, but I was afraid it would be too risky! With all the media attacks you endured." She chuckled shaking her head. "Sorry, I didn't want to sound indelicate. It isn't nice to make you remember it. But I'm really, really glad to meet you!"

"Really?", Mai echoed bewildered, interrupting the flood of words. "Who are you?"

She gasped and started laughing. "How rude! Forgive me, sometimes I get carried away a bit. I'm Elisabeth."

"Nice to meet you?"

Elisabeth grinned, almost bouncing from excitement. "Pleasure it's all mine!"

She squeezed Mai's hand and winked. "Come with me. At home, I'll answer all your questions!"

She started to walk, dragging Mai without waiting for an answer. The Core Soldier, while taken aback by that behaviour, was extremely curious by that turn of events. Elisabeth kept on with looking around, her braid bobbing every time she moved her head. What was so secret that one couldn't speak in an empty place like that one?

"It's about the Momose, isn't it?"

Elisabeth cast her an apologetic look over her shoulder. "It's better if we talk elsewhere."

Mai nodded resigned, opting to play along at least for the moment. At the gate she turned one last time, failing to keep her resolve, and sought to picture Dan's memorial with her mind. She clenched her pendant and swallowed the sudden lump in her throat.

"Bye, Dan."

The two stopped a few paces away from the gate, close to the roadside. Mai lent forward to demand an explanation; Elisabeth brightened and waved her arm. A nice grey car pulled up in front of them. From the front seat, a man in his thirties got out fast and motioned briefly to the two girls.

"Sorry for the delay, Elisabeth. Mrs Yoshida's list didn't seem to end. The miss comes with us?"

"It's a friend!", she replied enthusiastically taking Mai by the arm. "She's one of the Bearers of Core's Light. Viole Mai!"

The Core Soldier cracked a smile and greeted him. The man just looked at her and got in the car, shaking his head. Elisabeth didn't linger and reached out to open the car backdoor, the whole time tugging with her an ever more baffled Mai.

"Let's go! We'll reach my home in no time."

Mai muttered her acceptance, well aware to not have a say in the matter. Elisabeth got in after her, and she shut the door, signalling hurriedly at the man to leave.

After a few minutes, the graveyard vanished from sight. Elisabeth started to tap against the edge of the window. Mai, assuming small talk would have been scarce, stared outside. Walls, small streets, little gardens. A question was filling unrelenting her thoughts: who was that girl and how was she related to the Momose?

"Sorry for my first reaction. You'll think I'm a bit moody!"

Mai drew back from her thoughts and turned to look back in. Elisabeth smiled.

"It's only a precaution, you know. You never can tell who may be listening. Kosuke always says that even plants hear everything!" She laughed, directing a cheeky wink towards the driver. The former rolled his eyes.

"I'm glad that your interest in the flowerbeds was only a way to have something to mock me with."

"You know that we all love you!", she replayed grinning towards Mai. "Without you, our garden will be a wasteland!"

The man grumbled. Elisabeth stretched out her hand, placing it on Mai's arm.

"There are still so many people angry with you Bearers of Core's light. Better keep them off, isn't it?"

Mai bit her lip, only the mention of everything that happened was enough to stir up the worst memories, enough to feel again the stares full of contempt and hate, enough to feel the buried impulse to run away.

"And now I upset you. Nothing goes right to me today", Elisabeth complained leaning against the backseat. It was enough to distract Mai.

"Don't worry. It's not your fault."

Elisabeth didn't look convinced, but her attention was soon drawn outside. They crossed a gate. Past it, there was a garden and a short cobblestone leading to a cream coloured villa.

"Here we are!"

Mai gazed at the neat and lush flowerbeds and at the two-story house, unsure on what she expected to find. The car stopped, and Elisabeth jumped out, the braid thumping against the car roof. She caught up with an elderly man leaning on a cane.

"Any progress?"

Mai got out at the same moment that the elder rolled his eyes. "No, Reiko, like every single time."

The girl slumped, lowering her head. The Core Soldier looked away from the landscape, frowning at the different name used by the man.

"Grandfather, you know I prefer the other one. Are you really sure it's all the same?"

"If you consider me so inept, wait for the nurse to come for the usual check", replied stiffly the man.

Then he turned in Mai's direction. "Do you intend to just stand there for long?"

She winced only to realize that he was looking past her. A few steps away, Kosuke was standing with his arms loaded of groceries.

"I carry everything inside right away, even the pastries you take with your tea."

The old man pointed the cane at him. "I demand respect, young man."

Kosuke nodded, moving past them and reminding Elisabeth that the flowers were in the usual spot.

Mai took advantage of the moment to step forward and bow. "Good morning. I'm Shinomiya Mai. I apologize to come unannounced."

The elder scanned her and scoffed. He turned to enter the house. "Like I don't know it's all my granddaughter's fault. I'll save you some tea."

That said, he got inside leaving the two girls alone. Elisabeth was the first to climb the steps, gesturing her to follow.

"Don't stay there, otherwise I'll look like I'm leaving you out."

Mai wasted no time to go after her and, once inside, she was enveloped by the cool shade of the hall. Airy paper panels featuring painted landscapes and photos were hung on the walls. A staircase led to the upper floor and, on the sides, there were a few closed doors. Against the wall in front of them, there was a little couch on which a bouquet of white roses laid. Elisabeth offered a pair of sandals to Mai and then she fetched the flowers.

"Before any questions, I have to show you something. Get ready because it may be quite a shock for you."

Mai didn't have time to demand an explanation: Elisabeth was already going upstairs. She followed resigned, and they arrived in a corridor. They kept going on the left until stopping by a door. Elisabeth gripped the handle and stopped.

"Try not to yell, ok? It's a good thing, I promise."

The Core Soldier didn't know what to say, puzzled by so much preparation for something that couldn't be so mind-blowing. But if she found all the walls littered with their photos, it could be quite a bit embarrassing and a lot creepy. As a matter of fact, they've never got a psycho fan.

Elisabeth pushed the handle and opened the door, moving straightaway to the side and hiding the face behind the flowers. She started repeating a fast litany of sorry.

Mai stepped ahead amused by the girl's odd behaviour. Then she looked inside the room and froze, her breath caught in her throat. She brought her hands over her mouth, unable to utter a single sound. She couldn't believe her eyes and steadied herself against the wall, almost in search of something to ensure that all was real.

"Yuuki… it's impossible."

Momose Yuuki, like a ghost from a past that seemed further away than a few months, was lying on a bed, a breathing machine secured to his face. There was an IV attached to his arm.

The tentative and constant beep was almost deafening.

Momose Yuuki was there. Yuuki was alive. But it couldn't be possible: Dan was there the day he was killed. Elisabeth walked in quietly. She went near the bed, throwing her a quick glance more than once. She picked up the withered flowers and put them down on a chair. Then she put the new flowers in the vase, and she spun towards Mai, rocking on her toes.

"I should have told you. I knew. But you wouldn't have believed me."

Mai lowered her hands, unable to stop gapping at the sleeping friend. She inched closer until a step separated her from the bed. Her gaze met Elisabeth's one who nodded encouragingly. So, the Purple Soldier went on until she found herself on the opposite side of the bed. Then she stopped.

"Morning, Yuuki", Elisabeth whispered smoothing with a hand the crease of the sheet. "Do you see who came by to say hello? I promised you that sooner or later I'd found them. Even if, to be honest, they were the ones to find me. How a small world, isn't it?"

Then she looked up to Mai.

"Try talking to him. The doctor said it's good for him. I'm sure that hearing your voice will be more useful than hearing mine. He must be asking who I am."

She smiled and motioned towards him with the head. "Come on!"

Mai raised her hand and found herself hesitating a breath away from his fingers. She felt her eyes wet with tears for so many reasons: for the surprise to find him alive, for the injustice of his condition thanks to ruthless people, for the impossibility of his awakening.

In the end, she squinted and took his hand. "Hi, Yuuki."

Someone knocked at the door, and Mai instantly opened her eyes. On the doorway, there was a young woman with a mortified smile on her face.

"Sorry to bother you, I've come to do the checks. I can wait for a few minutes if you want, Liz."

Elisabeth shook her head and grabbed the flowers on the chair, filling the floor at her feet with dried petals.

"No, go ahead. It'll be good to get some fresh air."

Mai didn't fight against it, allowing Elisabeth to guide her out of the room. In the corridor, Mai looked back one more time, towards the friend everyone thought lost forever.

* * *

**A/N: Hello! So, here we are. First chapter!**

**To be honest, I'm actually quite excited and a little nervous. This is the biggest text I've ever translated from Italian to English and, even if the Battle Spirits fandom is pretty much dormant, I'm really anxious to post it.**

**Well, I hope you liked it and enjoyed the return of Mai and the semi-return of Yuuki. Did you expect to be him the one in a coma? I don't know what Sunrise/Bandai thought about Yuuki's destiny (probably he is dead… quite sure he's dead): this is my version.**

**This chapter takes place few weeks after their return from the future that I decided to place on 1 September 2010 (yes, the day after Mai met Dan) and a few days after the epilogue scene with Mai and Kenzo. It will be right? Probably not, but… I hope you'll bear with me (even if it'll be 99.99% not canon to Battle Spirits Brave Saga… well, we can't have everything).**

**A little warning, you surely noticed that there are some OCs and, as we go forward, inevitably there's gonna be some more. BUT I promise you that the canon characters will always be the protagonists of my stories and that as many as possible secondary characters of both the series will appear too.**

**So, a big thank you to all the people who read this story and I hope you'll stay with me for the next chapters. I can't promise you a regular schedule of updates (writing is hard, and translating is harder) but, for the moment, I'll try something like an update every two weeks?**

**If you have any questions, comments, doubts (corrections of my English) or if you want to tell me what you think about it, feel free to leave a review. But, really, thank you even if you'll decide only to read.**

**Til next time!**

**Gate Open! Release!**

* * *

**Originally posted on "EFP il tuo sito di fanfiction": 2 October 2018 (revised version), 1 October 2013 (original version)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Mai watched silently while Elisabeth served the tea with flawless motions, the way she only saw during ceremonies or when her paternal grandparents visited from Kyoto.

"My grandma loves tea. Her father grew and sold it, and, after the war, they travelled all the world to find different blends. Then she came back to Japan and met my grandpa. She taught me how to serve it since I was four years old."

The Purple Soldier nodded absently, gazing over the garden. The side where they were sitting was an explosion of coloured flowers. Two rose bushes stood out, white and yellow. The other side, instead, was a traditional Japanese garden, with a pond and perfectly trimmed bushes. From under the graceful wooden bungalow, they had a perfect view of both.

"Here."

Mai grasped the teacup and bowed her head, but she didn't bring it to her lips. Elisabeth, instead, sipped it with no hesitation and picked up one of the pastries handed to them by Mrs Yoshida.

In the end, Mai imitated her: she didn't want to sound rude to her guest. But doubts and questions became too heavy to be ignored longer. So, Mai put down the teacup and raised her eyes on Elisabeth.

"How? How is Yuuki here? He died. He should be dead. And why you helped him? All they said about us, it should have been enough to make you turn him over. Why?"

Elisabeth sighed and copied her. Then she smiled and started playing with a napkin.

"It just happened, only a few days after the news. I remember they spent a lot of time talking about the White Soldier's death."

Mai flinched and looked down. She remembered those days, the grief, the fear to leave her home. Her family had watched the news only when she was asleep.

"I'm a member of a charity, as my mother was. We help the homeless, we give some blankets, a bowl of rice, some comfort. My parents would have helped everyone, if only they had the chance."

Elisabeth squeezed her eyes, breathing in and out a few times. She reopened them and smiled again.

"I was going home. It started to rain, and Kosuke had just arrived. One of the homeless was a former colleague of my father, when he worked at the hospital, ended up on the street after his wife and son died in a car crash."

"It's awful", Mai murmured.

Elisabeth nodded. "He approached and knocked on the car window, asking to talk with me. He was keeping looking around, almost afraid to be followed. I shared a look with Kosuke and let him get in."

"_Mister Matsumoto, what's happening? I'm not telling anyone, but you must tell me what's the problem."_

_The man sighed, rubbing his face. "You are a dear girl, so like your father. If you don't help me, I don't know what I could do."_

_Elisabeth motioned him to continue, puzzled but curious._

"_There's a boy, where I live. He urgently needs medical care."_

"_You want us to bring him to a hospital?"_

_He widened his eyes and shook his head, clutching frantically one of her arms. Kosuke shifted in the front seat._

"_They'll kill him! You can't take him there. They find him and finish the job. They'll kill him."_

_The girl turned alarmed to Kosuke and saw him with his phone in hand. She motioned him to wait and turned her attention to the elder. She really hoped the Yakuza wasn't involved._

"_Of whom are you talking? Who are they? Who is the boy? If there is something criminal, I-"_

"_Please. I couldn't save my son, help me at least save this boy."_

_Her grandma always said she got a heart far too big: during her childhood, she had tried to adopt four dogs, six cats, one parrot, two macaques, one fox and a little girl known at a park. In retrospect, her grandma made a lot of sense._

"_All right. Kosuke and I will follow you but, at the first hint of trouble, we leave."_

_The man nodded and got out. She and Kosuke copied him, raising their hoodies to shade the rain, and started to follow. They zigzagged puddles and garbage, Elisabeth trusting Kosuke to have a better sense of direction than her, and they reached their destination. It was an almost crumbled building, one of those abandoned without being taken down. It seemed a warehouse._

_They entered and lowered their hoods. Elisabeth spotted the rain filtering in by gaps in the walls and hoped the roof wouldn't come crashing down on them. The homeless moved to a little wooden shack, pinned against a wall. On the ground, there were old magazines and a pair of ruined shoes. He motioned to follow and disappeared inside. _

_Elisabeth inhaled and went after him, reassured by Kosuke's presence behind her. A stifling smell came up from some dirty dishes, piled messily near some cans of preserves. In a corner, there was a pile of worn-out clothes and more newspapers._

_The elder knelt near an old mattress. On it, there was someone, covered by a ratty and washed-out blanket._

"_He is the boy I told you."_

_Elisabeth got close, trying to not give in to the instinct to run in the other direction. The boy was in pain, his breathing difficult and on his face, there was a pained grimace. The man sighed and lowered the blanket a bit. She gasped and grasped Kosuke's arm, feeling dizzy. The boy's white t-shirt was tainted near the abdomen by a dark red stain. An impromptu bandage was barely stopping the bleeding. Blood. If she felt in the Yakuza's aim, her grandparents would never forgive her._

"_What happened?", said Kosuke._

_Elisabeth was grateful: she couldn't find the strength to speak. Not yet, at least._

"_Gunshot. I was near when they shot him. The attackers fled at the sound of a siren. Then a boy showed up. He got close for a moment and then ran away. He seemed devasted. Then I moved closer. He was still alive. So I brought him here and tried to stop the blood. He needs help."_

_But how to help him, if they couldn't take him to a hospital?_

"_Elisabeth, he's the Core Soldier! The one on the news!"_

_She started and looked closer: Momose Yuuki, the Bearer of Core's Light presumed dead two days prior. She squeezed her eyes and breathed in: maybe it'd have been better the Yakuza._

_Built up the nerve, Elisabeth reached the mattress and got down on her knees. She brushed his forehead with her fingerprints. He was burning. She stepped away, and Yuuki whimpered, muttering something._

"_Ka… jitsu…"_

"_Kajitsu?", Elisabeth repeated louder, frowning. "Who is she?"_

"_He's delirious since I bought him here. He keeps saying incoherent phrases. He calls this Kajitsu, the Bearers of Core's Light and he talks about a rose under a storm. He won't last long like this."_

_Elisabeth stared at him, trying to recollect all the TV services about the Core Soldiers. Then she remembered: the monster stopped by Otherworld's King. Momose Kajitsu was his sister._

"_What are you going to do? You really want to help him?"_

_She stood up and turned hesitantly to Kosuke. "I don't know. But he's a person. We can't leave him here in his conditions. And we can't bring him to a hospital."_

"_Your grandfather's friend", suggested the man. "The one of the private clinic. Mister Nakano always tells how he owes him a debt?"_

"_Doctor Aosawa!", she said excitedly. "Of course. I'm sure grandpa could help us convince him."_

_Because not even her stern grandfather would leave alone the White Soldier, regardless of what everyone could think about them. Human life was human life._

_The two men lifted the boy, and Elisabeth reached the exit to make sure they were alone. Silent and on edge, they arrived at the car and settled Yuuki on the back seat. Kosuke got in the driving seat. Elisabeth was stopped by the elder just before getting in._

"_Be careful. No one, no one can know. Don't trust easily. For both your sakes."_

_She nodded and got in the car. Kosuke set off immediately._

_Once far from there, Elisabeth grabbed a tissue and started to softly wipe away the rain from Yuuki's face._

"_It'll be fine."_

_Yuuki moaned, and his body jerked. Elisabeth struggled not to cry. It was like with her brother, all over again. And that time it was really the Yakuza, with him in the wrong place at the wrong time._

_How could people so heartless exist?_

"_You must hang on", she said softly holding his hand. "You can't give up now."_

"I called grandpa and was able to convince him. We met at the clinic, and he convinced his colleague who promised to maintain absolute secrecy. They registered him in the files with a false name. We stayed there, and I think I fell asleep. Next thing, grandpa woke me up and a nurse confirmed the end of surgery."

_Doctor Aosawa finished to put on the coat and lead them to his office. The air was heavy and tense, and her grandfather seemed still upset with her for her reckless decision. They sat around his desk._

"_Surgery was successful, but his conditions are critical. We'll have to monitor him for the next twenty-four, forty-eight hours. Thank goodness, his blood type is one of the most common."_

"_And the prognosis?", Elisabeth's grandfather urged._

_The doctor sighed and tiredly rubbed a hand through his hair. "We didn't find brain damage, but nonetheless he slipped into a coma."_

_Elisabeth blenched and covered her mouth with a hand._

_"The condition in which you brought him here wasn't ideal. I would not raise my hopes. It'll be already a bless if he'll survive the night. Besides, even if he stabilises, I won't be able to do more. I helped you for friendship but, even respecting my dignity as a doctor, I can't jeopardise this clinic."_

Elisabeth sipped her cooling tea. Mai copied her mechanically, bewildered by the tale. On instinct, she turned towards the house and felt her heart sank. Yuuki was in coma since _February_. They were in _September_.

"Yuuki got through the first days, and I persuaded grandpa to bring him here thanks to my grandma's help. His injuries are healed, but he didn't wake up."

"What are his odds?", Mai said softly, tightening the grip on the teacup clutched between her fingers.

"Maybe none", Elisabeth lowered her gaze, "maybe the more merciful choice would be letting him go. But I can't do it, not if there is even the tiniest chance for him to live."

It was what she would have wanted for her brother, Elisabeth thought, pushing the sweet crumbles with her fingerprint. If someone had called for help earlier, he would still be with them.

Mai, instead, turned to the table and stared at the girl who saved and protected Yuuki. There was something more in her voice, an unexpected bitterness. But it wasn't her place to ask: they were strangers. Even if, thought Mai smiling softly, it was a little like speaking with a kindred soul.

"You talk like us."

Elisabeth blinked, gaping at her, and burst out laughing shaking her head.

"I really don't think one act of mercy and kindness make me a Bearer of Core's Light, but I'll take it as a compliment. I wouldn't mind thinking I'm a backup."

The two girls ate the small pastries. Even if Elisabeth undermined her action, Mai couldn't help comparing it with their friends and families' one, when not even affection had been enough to not let them give into fear. It was ironic that one of the few people, who didn't turn their back to them, had been a total stranger.

"And Kajitsu?", said the Purple Soldier. "What do you know about her?"

"What I found on web and newspapers. She was one of you and tried to destroy Tokyo. Only Otherworld's King stopped your recklessness, even if, in the end, you stopped him from bringing prosperity to humanity."

Mai leapt at her feet, a burning fury shaking her and wetting her eyes. She moved away from the table, pausing near one of the pillars of the bungalow. She would never get used to it and, after the future, it was ten times worst.

"Only filthy lies. Mother Core's Light isn't a magic wand which changes people, stops hate and wars. It would have changed the world, not humanity."

Elisabeth stood up quietly, moving towards Mai but halting a few paces away.

"And Otherworld's King wanted none of that. He wanted to deceive them, and then destroy all of us, because we were inferior for him. Disposable in the name of some insane evolution."

The Purple Soldier clenched her hand on the wooden pillar, the rough surface scratching her skin and nails. Elisabeth placed one hand on her shoulder. Mai started.

"I believe you."

Their gazes met, and a stunned Mai saw the sincerity in them.

"What makes us afraid makes us meaner", said softly Elisabeth holding one of her hand. "And makes us seek someone to blame. We don't want to look at the dirt inside us, because then we won't have an excuse. My father thought me to see past appearances, to think with my mind. I don't believe someone in the right would try to kill non-threatening opponents. You Bearers of Core's Light didn't try to hurt anyone."

"You truly are an unusual girl", replied Mai reciprocating the squeeze.

Elisabeth laughed again. "Don't go too far. But I hope we could become friends."

"I'll like it very much."

They exchanged a smile and went back to the table. They gathered cups, teapot and remaining sweets. Once inside the kitchen, the cook welcomed them.

"Dears, thank you for your help."

"It's the least", said Elisabeth edging closer and leaning over the pots. "What are you cooking?"

"Hiyashi Chuka. But it'll still take a while."

The girl hummed and turned towards Mai, grabbing her arm.

"We'll go upstairs to see if Izumi has finished."

"Why you went to the cemetery?", said Mai once they reached the upper floor.

Elisabeth blushed and started smoothing her skirt. "I, well, I guess I thought it may be something nice? After all, he can't go. I messed up, didn't I?"

Mai chuckled, amused by her worried face, and shook her head. "I'm sure they'd appreciate it."

Elisabeth brightened. They got past a half-open door, where Elisabeth's grandfather was talking on the phone. Elisabeth turned towards Mai.

"My grandma, she has poor health. During summer she often goes to Hokkaido."

They stopped at the door, and Elisabeth reached out for the handle. Mai blocked her wrist. Their eyes met.

"Why you didn't try to contact us?"

"I wouldn't have known where to start. You had closed your blog, and all the other had tried to drop off the grid. I was afraid to ask too much, to attract attention. A stranger who out of the blue began to search the Core Soldiers: I'd have been suspicious. Besides, would you have believed me?"

Mai opened her mouth to replay but halted and shook her head dejectedly. They wouldn't have trusted her. Not after that news, afraid that it could be just a trap to lure them out. And now it wasn't important anymore. Yuuki was still alive. That was that mattered.

Elisabeth opened the door, leaving Mai the chance to enter first. She approached the bed and closed her eyes, struggling to hold back the tears. It was heart-breaking to see him there, the once proud White Soldier now helpless and weak. The beeping machinery was a merciless view.

Elisabeth was right next to her.

"You know why I keep on helping him? Because it's what I'd have wanted for my brother. He found himself amidst a Yakuza's gunfight. He died before reaching the hospital because rescuers were called too late. He died alone, in a pool of his blood. I wouldn't wish that to anyone."

Elisabeth's voice trembled and Mai, on instinct, turned and hugged her. A few moments later, Elisabeth pulled apart and grabbed a deck from a nightstand. The Purple Soldier didn't even notice it before.

"The day I found him, he had this with him. It's his?"

Almost shaking, Mai snatched the cards and started scrolling them. White cards and green cards, Kajitsu's ones.

"I confess I took some cues for my deck. I hope he won't be offended."

Mai smiled absently, still flipping through the cards. Blizzard Wall, The Sacred Gugnir, The IronKnight Yggdrasill, The WingDeity Grand-Woden and The Armored Sacred Walhalance. Again, she felt like crying: they always believed those cards were lost along with Yuuki's body.

She put down the deck and kept only two cards, brushing them lightly with her thumbs. Elisabeth flanked her, looking intrigued.

"The Providence Hououga and The DoomKnightLord Ragna-Rock. Why you took those?"

"Hououga was Kajitsu's spirit", Mai said with a sorrowful voice. "Ragna-Rock was the symbol of their affection."

She put the cards on top of the deck, jerking her hand away.

"Do you want to keep it, Mai?"

"No", the Core Soldier didn't hesitate, "I think it's right they stay with him."

Elisabeth nodded and moved towards the door. On the threshold, she gripped the handle and turned to Mai.

"I leave you alone with him for a bit."

She didn't wait for an answer and quietly closed the door behind her. Mai stared at it, overwhelmed by the stillness of the room. She let her gaze wander on those four white-painted walls, on the airy landscapes hung on them, on the wooden dresser in a corner. And the machinery keeping Yuuki alive.

She looked at the nightstand and noticed a frame. She picked it up and recognised Kajitsu's photo, identical to the one left near her memorial. Elisabeth must have been able to obtain a copy.

If Kajitsu was there, she was sure, her voice would have been enough to wake him up. But Kajitsu was gone. Mai sighed and, dusted the chair from the dried petals, moved it near the bed.

She sat and looked at his pale face, paler than usual, thinner than usual. Every injustice endured by the Bearers of Core's Light rushed back, a feeling of helplessness, of despair, she had not felt since the day she talked to Kenzo. They were only teens, barely more than children, and the world had hurled against them its worst. For what they still had to pay? After almost losing their families, after losing friendships, after being alienated, hated, after watching friends die, after what happened to Dan.

Mai reached out and clutched Yuuki's fingers, closing her eyes and trying to slow down her strained breathing. She focused on the regular machinery beep, Yuuki's weak and stable heartbeat. And, despite all, that sound managed to calm her.

"I'd have come before. We'd have all come. Oh, Yuuki, we thought you dead. Dan blamed himself."

Hot tears wetted her cheeks, but the girl didn't make an effort to dry them. Instead, she offered a faltering smile.

"We should have been there. It wouldn't have changed anything; you both were too stubborn and resolute for your own good. But we should have been there."

"We should have been there", she repeated shaking her head. "But I was afraid. If I'd have stayed even for only a day more… I wish I'd been stronger."

But she hadn't. She fled, she cut ties. And she breathed again. Even if fear never truly got away but, at least, she hadn't had anymore that instinct to curl up in a corner and to hide from everything. And then she ran away in the future.

"You missed a lot of things", Mai said smiling and used the other hand to wipe the tears. "Kazan called us from the future. We had only to stop the Earth's total reset. Easy, isn't it? Clackey, Kenzo, Hideto… we all went. I even returned to bring Dan."

She swallowed and blinked. It was so difficult for her to think of that day, so close on the calendar, yet away a lifetime.

"He grew up so much, I almost didn't recognise him. But he loved Battle Spirits as always, even if regular duels disheartened him. After Grand Lolo, after really risking the life, how could anyone blame him?"

Mai freed her hand from Yuuki's one and held her arms tight around her body.

"In the future, we began to heal, we found ourselves, and the strength to fight." _Thanks to Dan. _"We won. We brought peace to humans and Mazoku. Yeah, exactly Grand Lolo's creatures. They were left behind on Earth. Magisa had decided to not take them to Grand Lolo."

She sighed and intertwined a finger around a hair lock.

"Maybe, she hoped it'll help us overcome our difference. It took a few centuries, but, well: the idea worked", her laugh sounded hollow. "And we discovered we all have the same DNA. Grandlorians are humans evolved in a different way. Did you know it, Yuuki?"

Mai bit on her lip and moved her gaze towards the window. She stared for a long time at the gentle swaying of the thin curtains. The chirp of the birds outside was almost soothing.

"You were there. Zolder Grave and Flora Perfume", she grinned, "but please, Yuuki, pass down also an instruction manual to your reincarnations. They fought for everything and mocked each other. I really hope it's not how they flirt!"

She took his hand. "They have such _extrovert_ personalities. But I'm sure they'll remember."

Mai quieted, finding it hard to carry on. In the future, she had spent days locked in her room, refusing to accept that it had happened for real. Then, after yet another attempt of Clackey to get her outside, she had screamed at him. And she didn't stop. She had yelled and hated everyone, from Barone to Plym to Zolder. When she had found Dan's remaining deck, she had thrown it on the floor and had screamed and screamed, till her voice became hoarse and her throat burning. Because it had been Dan's fault, of his darned spirit of self-sacrifice, of his desire to protect everyone and everything. She had collapsed on the ground, and Clackey had hugged her while she had cried.

From that moment, she put her heart and soul on helping with the reconstruction, at least till the departure, to not stop and think, to not be overcome by all the _what-ifs_, by all that they could have done differently. But she hadn't been able to silence the little voice, the one remembering her of all the things she hadn't done.

"Clackey stayed in the future. He found a home. He fell in love with a girl we found hibernated in a space station, Angers Lochè. I hope you enjoy the irony, as well", she added laughing despite her misty eyes.

"Kenzo, Hideto and I came back. Perhaps we'll resume our battle, step by step. We'll finish what you and Dan started. Dan-", a sob broke her voice and Mai put her hands on her face, taking shallow breaths.

"Dan didn't return. He sacrificed himself to save Earth, to save all of us. Because of course, it had to be him, always in the first line. If we only could have found another solution, Dan will still be here."

She sniffed and squeezed with both hands Yuuki's one, new rivulets of tears wetting her cheeks and a shaky smile, full of sorrow and regret.

"He was again who he used to be. Enthusiast, stubborn. But he left us. And I had known it already. I had found a plaque, in a crumbled museum. August 30, 2010: the day when they lost track of him. The day _I_ have brought him in the future. I tried, Yuuki. But I couldn't stop him, even with Battle Spirits. Maybe you'd have been able to stop him. You were the only one of us who has ever succeeded to beat him in a duel."

She closed her eyes, barely holding back another sob. "He had come to duel, to win. And it's what he continued to do. I was only able to be by his side. I kidded myself it wouldn't happen anything, not with his resolve. Not also Dan. Hadn't we paid enough?"

She bit her lip. "I didn't even tell him what I felt. He was the one to take the lead, before that damn duel. You do realize, Dan!", she ran her fingers over her eyes and shook her head. "He promised me we'd face the past together. And I believed him. I'd even practised the curry."

Her face crumbled, unable to stop her sobbing. "He-he didn't come back."

Mai cried with her palms pressed against her face. Her chest was shaken by the sobs and her breathing was laboured.

She has never spoken so openly, nor in the future, nor with Hideto and Kenzo, nor with her sister. But there, in that room, with Yuuki who couldn't respond, Yuuki who would have been the only one to truly understand her, words flowed more easily.

"I didn't do anything. I couldn't stop his death. If I had only tried more, but I gave up because I trusted him. And then it was too late. I never felt a pain so strong, Yuuki. I really thought I wouldn't be able to bear it, that I'd shatter. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. Emptiness swallowed me, but I was still seeing him, over and over again. Vanishing, vanishing, vanishing. And I didn't do anything."

She lowered her head, hair shading her face. For minutes that seemed to last hours, hot tears wetted her cheeks and tried to soothe her wounds. But they couldn't bring Dan back to her.

* * *

**A/N: Hello! Here we are again, one week later than I hoped, but I tried to polish the chapter as best as I could.**

**I hope you like it and that everything doesn't seem too much unrealistic. The first version of this story is almost six years old, but I didn't want to change it… I'm rather fond of it. And I'm not a doctor, so I'm sorry if I messed up with the medical aspect. I tried to not be too much specific.**

**Do you think that the K+ rating is high enough? The scene in the flashback will be the most "graphical" (and it isn't described in detail) but I'm not totally sure if the mention of blood and wounds is enough to increase it…**

**A big thank you to all the people who read this story. I hope we'll see us again in two weeks (kinda).**

**If you have any questions, comments, doubts or if you want to tell me what you think about it, feel free to leave a review. But, really, thank you even if you'll decide only to read.**

**Til next time!**

**Gate Open! Release!**

**P.S. ****_Hiyashi Chuka_ is a Japanese dish usually eaten in summer (chilled ramen noodles with various topping).**

* * *

**Originally posted on "EFP il tuo sito di fanfiction": 8 October 2018 (revised version), 5 October 2013 (original version)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Tears stopped, and breathing was steadier again. Mai sniffed and rubbed the back of her hands against eyes and cheeks to dry them. She kept her face lowered, slowly breathing in and out. She felt exhausted and, oddly, lighter. Ever since she had come back from the future, she had tried to be strong, to let no one worry about her.

It was refreshing to let her defence down, at least for a few minutes.

And, maybe, remembering Dan would be safer, sweeter. Not eroded anymore by pain and anger. She couldn't change the past; she only had to learn to accept it, to live with his loss. She brushed her pendant with a finger. She had to remember that Dan had been happy, that he had returned the boy with whom she had fallen in love. His sacrifice didn't change any of that.

She reached the window and, rested her hands on the ledge, leant forward to breathe the outside air, crispier than the stuffy room, and to enjoy the caress of the breeze on face and hair.

It was like that day when she crumpled in Kaoru's arms. Her life began again from there.

Her eyes widened, and she ran to grab her bag, searching and rummaging frenetically. She was supposed to meet Kenzo outside the graveyard. She forgot.

She snatched her phone and looked at the time. She felt her blood leave her face. There were a message and three lost calls. Kenzo must have assumed the worse. Or even worse. Mai unlocked the screen and wrote a quick note on their group chat. There were also Hideto's concerned messages! He could be halfway to who-knows-where around the world. She felt awfully guilty.

"_I'm fine. Don't worry. Kenzo, something has come up. Let's meet at around two o'clock. Usual place."_

She put the bag on her shoulder. Then, she got near the bed again and grasped Yuuki's hand.

"What should I do?"

Until that moment, she didn't think about the implications of her finding. Yuuki was in a coma, but he was alive. What should she say to the others? Could she walk away from there and pretend nothing happened? If he won't wake up, they'd only grieve again. Could they take the risk to be discovered? They'll all be in danger, even Yuuki, even Elisabeth and her family.

Mai huffed and grabbed her hair. How could she decide for them? She couldn't, but she wanted to protect them. Now she understood Dan's position. She was sure he'd have made the same call.

"It's been good to talk to you, Yuuki. I hope it'll help you too. I won't tell Hideto and Kenzo anything. So, make sure to recover fast. I believe you are in good hands. Elisabeth, I'm sure, will take care of you. I'll wait for the good news."

She squeezed his hand one last time and moved away. At the door, she stopped and smiled warmly at him.

"Good luck, Momose Yuuki. Until next time."

Mai took a deep breath and closed the door behind her. She leant against its wooden surface for a few moments, then she stood straight and headed for the stairs.

* * *

Elisabeth moved the page, stretching her leg. She had been sitting on the small sofa, determined to wait for Mai with the book started the evening before. It wasn't long before she took off her sandals to lie down comfortably. And now she was starting to feel hungry: maybe she could invite Mai to stay for lunch.

"Thank you."

She almost jumped, dropping the book which thumped on the floor. The Purple Soldier picked it up, offering it to her with a shy smile.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

"No!", Elisabeth said too fast. "Grandpa always say my head is in the clouds when I read."

Mai offered the book again and Elisabeth blushed, grabbing it and bending to put on the sandals.

"How it was?"

"Interesting. I hope that he wakes up."

"Me too." She straightened. "Do you want to stay for lunch?"

Mai shook her head. "Next time. I had a meeting with a friend and I already missed the first one. But we can keep in touch. It was nice meeting you."

"I'll like it. I'll give you my number, so I could also keep you updated with Yuuki's conditions."

The Core Soldier typed it out on her phone and then raised her eyes to meet Elisabeth's ones. "We must find some codewords."

Elisabeth was perplexed.

"In case they intercept our communications. You'll have to refer Yuuki with _white rose_ when speaking about him."

"_What?"_

"Trust me", replied Mai putting away the phone. "It's the best codeword."

Elisabeth accepted it and shrugged, walking Mai to the door. Outside, they stopped.

"If I knew you wouldn't stay, I'd have asked Kosuke to wait for you."

"It's okay. I'll take the bus."

They said goodbye and Mai headed for the gate. Behind her, she heard the soft click of the closing door. Once she got out, she spun to look at the house. Leaving that place gave her a strange sensation. Everything happened so fast. Only a few hours prior, the idea of finding Yuuki alive would have been crazy.

It had become a custom in her life as a Bearer of Core's Light: everything changed too fast.

None of them will have ever again an ordinary life.

She walked along the sidewalk, toward the near bus stop. She was grateful for the peacefulness of that area: it gave her a chance to process the last few hours.

A bus surpassed her. She started to run without thinking, reaching it a moment before the doors closed. She sat near a window, laying her head against it.

Mai found herself thinking about Dan, wondering whether he could still be alive, somewhere. She could almost picture him, lost in some duels. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"Dan, I miss you."

* * *

Kenzo was sitting on the edge of a fountain. He picked his phone from his backpack for the umpteenth time, pretty sure he'll find no sign of Mai. Even Hideto, contacted by him, was waiting for news. As time went on, a freezing fear had wormed his way in his thoughts. Due to their adventure in the future, events apart only a few months felt so further away.

Mai could be in danger.

Mai could risk ending up like Yuuki.

Mai just _texted_ him back.

Kenzo released a deep breath, tension leaving him little by little. He raised his gaze to look at the clock. It was already two o'clock. He looked around and saw her, standing by a crosswalk. She smiled and waved.

The Green Soldier put away his phone, grabbed his bag and ran toward her. He almost wanted to scold her, to be mad with her to make clear they couldn't relax. _They_ were out there.

But then he caught up with her, smiling and safe, and all his rancour evaporated.

"You're fine?"

Mai put an arm around his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I'll never do it again, promise."

"Mai, we thought it happened something. We were afraid!"

"I'm really sorry. But it slipped my mind."

"What happened?"

The Purple Soldier halted, obliging Kenzo to stop walking. She stared off, quiet and wistful. Kenzo was ready to call her, but she twirled and moved a step from him. She crossed her hands behind her back, a sly smile on her lips.

"I'll tell you another time."

And she kept walking. Kenzo, dumbfounded, pushed up his glasses and ran.

"You can't do this. Mai! With everything you put us through!"

Mai slowed down and hugged him, holding him nearer. "One day, I'll tell you. But not today."

The Green Soldier gave up: he'll never be able to change her mind. When Mai choose to be secretive, he could only roll with it.

"Let's go and eat something. You have to tell me how it's going with your exams."

Chit chatting, they headed for a small pub they discovered during their study breaks. Tasty food, low price and quiet rooms, often other students hung there, especially now that the summer break had ended.

Beyond the buildings, the sun shined on the waves of Tokyo's Bay.

After Grand Lolo, after the future, a new adventure waited for the Bearers of Core's Light. Once children who found themselves to shoulder the fate of two worlds, it was time for them to grow up, to try building a future in the real world. Without Battle Spirits duels, but with the determination that, one day, the truth will succeed.

For the first time after the Grand Lolo's gates had closed, they could look to the ever-changing future with a little more courage and optimism. And everything was still a blank slate.

* * *

**… MAY 2011 …**

Elisabeth crossed the corridor in haste, a bag in precarious equilibrium on her shoulder, a hair band tight between her teeth and her fingers finishing to braid her hair.

In front of Yuuki's door, she halted abruptly. Fixed the braid, she opened it and entered. And nothing had changed. Yuuki was still sleeping, as he had done for over a year, like when she met Mai. She got close and squeezed one of his hand.

Her grandfather was starting to lose his patience, persuaded to wait only thanks to her grandmother.

But she was losing hope too.

"Yuuki", she murmured unsurely. "I don't know if you hear me, but if you can, try to come back to your friends. Please. I need to see that hate doesn't always win."

Elisabeth closed her eyes and sighed. She released his hand and went to open the window, allowing the fresh air of spring to fill the room. She exited in silence.

Once downstairs, she found her grandparents in the living room. On the TV there were the first images of the festivities, the prelude to the parade.

"I'm leaving. I left Yuuki's window open. When Izumi arrives, tell her to check that it isn't too cold."

Her grandmother turned toward her with a smile full of affection. "Don't worry, dear. Go and have fun with your friends."

Elisabeth opened her mouth to add more, but her grandfather interrupted her, turning the page of the newspaper.

"Yes, if something happens, we'll call you immediately."

She giggled, bending down to graze with a swift kiss the two elders' cheeks, and dashed outside. She didn't want to risk being late.

* * *

In the garden, Kosuke was tending to the flower beds, checking that the new implants took root in the right way. The first blossoms of roses were starting to spread their petals toward the sky. Bees and butterflies buzzed in and out of the bushes. Among them, unbeknownst to the gardener, a tiny glowing green butterfly fluttered.

The insect flew higher and higher, further and further away from the flowers, towards a window with light honey-coloured curtains. It passed them and entered the room. There, the only noise was the humming of the machinery.

With every flap of its wings, a cloud of glittering green dust dispersed in the air. The butterfly fluttered first toward the deck on the nightstand and, after, toward the boy lying on the bed. It brushed his cheek. His eyelids flickered imperceptibly. Then it landed on his left hand.

"_Yuuki."_

_The boy frowned, but he didn't open his eyes. He didn't stir. He was tired. And, the emptiness wrapping him was soothing. If he opened his eyes, he wasn't sure he could come back._

_But that voice was extremely homely._

_It was important._

"_Yuuki."_

_His eyes flung open. He didn't recognise that place. It was a snowy landscape, a painful reminder of the most beautiful moments in his kingdom. But there it was endless, hazy._

_Maybe he was dreaming. Maybe that was the reason of his peacefulness._

_He looked around, searching for the voice calling him. But he was alone._

_He was going to close his eyes again but, then, he saw it: a pale green glow. It was a butterfly._

_The insect hovered in front of his face, fluttered around him. He stayed still, his hands limp. After long moments, he reached out with his hand, trying to caress it. The butterfly flew away, eluding his touch, leaving behind a shiny trail._

_He followed. Step by step his surrounding changed around him._

_No longer snow._

_Grass coloured the whiteness and green and white rose bushes filled every place as far as his eyes could see. Behind him, the emptiness felt more and more lifeless._

_And she was there. At last, he found her again._

_She was calling him._

_She was a few paces away._

_He stopped._

_The butterfly kept flying. It landed on one of her fingers, dissolving in green sparkles._

_She was like the day he lost her, ethereal and radiant like the butterfly. The long dark dress moved by a faint breeze; the emerald wings weightless on her shoulders._

_She was there, but he was exhausted._

_His eyelids were getting heavier and heavier, his muscles were stiffer, almost impossible to move._

_The girl glanced his way, and their eyes met. Yuuki saw sadness and fondness in hers. He wanted to hug her again, to hold her tight and to not make her leave again. But he couldn't move. It felt like an invisible barrier kept them apart. He struggled to reach out with a hand, his fingerprints grazing a transparent and cold crystal._

"_Kajitsu."_

_She smiled and, light like a butterfly, moved forward among the roses, getting closer to him. She stopped on the other side of the barrier._

"_I'm here, brother."_

"_I'm so happy to see you again", he whispered. "Now that I found you, I'll never leave you."_

_Kajitsu shook her head. And he didn't understand. There, they could be together. There, none could tear them apart._

"_You can't stay, Yuuki. You must wake up. Your duty has the White Soldier is not over yet."_

_Yuuki backed away, breath catching in his throat. She couldn't ask him that. Hadn't they been enough apart? Didn't they pay enough? He was tired. He couldn't leave and didn't want to leave._

"_I can't. I don't think I want to. I want to stay here with you."_

_Kajitsu reached out with her hand, watery eyes brimming with sadness and disappointment. "You must wake up, brother."_

_The White Soldiers shook his head. "I can't, baby sister. I don't want to lose you again."_

"_You promised. The White Rose will never yield. You promised you'll never surrender. If you don't fight, there won't be hope for us. For our dreams."_

_Yuuki froze. She was right. He couldn't give up. He sought the strength inside him, gritting his teeth, and reach out with his hand._

_A radiant smile appeared on Kajitus's face._

_Their fingers entwined._

_A glowing aura enveloped her and, in front of their chests, the emerald and diamond core materialised._

_Their gazes lost in one another._

_The roses around them fluttered, and darkness started to surround them. Behind the girl's shoulder, a white luminous point grow._

"_You're going to leave."_

_Kajitsu nodded. She raised a hand and brushed lovingly his cheek. Yuuki squeezed it tightly. She smiled, crystal tears wetting her face._

_Her body dissolved in a swarm of emerald butterflies. The White Soldier lowered his hand, turning toward the ever more intense light. The butterflies fluttered around him._

"_We'll transcend time. One day, the time will come for us to meet again, my brother, my Yuuki."_

_Yuuki smiled softly and closed his eyes. The light engulfed him, and the butterflies dispersed in green sparks._

"_I'll wait for you, Kajitsu."_

The door opened, and the butterfly faded away.

Izumi, the nurse who took care of Yuuki since the previous year when Elisabeth asked for her help, entered and dropped her bag on the chair. Stretching her back, she had just finished her shift at the hospital and was exhausted, she pulled out the folder with all his medical records from a drawer.

She moved closer to the machinery and wrote down the values. That day was only a routine check, less effortless than when her boyfriend, physiotherapist and once best friend of Elisabeth's late brother, came to give her a hand. If she was able to not collapse, she could have time to join Elisabeth and the others at the parade.

Izumi clicked close the pen and controlled the levels of the IV. She added part of the content with a syringe. Put everything back, she grabbed her bag and closed a bit the window. Turning, her eyes crossed the displays of the machinery.

And she froze.

The values had changed.

Frantically, she opened the drawer and searched for that day data. They were different. They were climbing up. If Yuuki died, Elisabeth would never forgive her.

The numbers stopped, stabilizing on expected parameters. Izumi threw the folder on the chair and ran to the bed, her heart racing.

"Momose, do you hear me?"

Under her disbelieving gaze, the White Soldier's eyelids fluttered and, sluggishly, opened. His eyes spent a few seconds to focus on what he had in front of him. But, then, he tilted his head toward her. The young woman, barely containing her enthusiasm, laid a hand on his shoulder. His muscles stiffened under her touch.

"Don't be afraid. You're safe. Do you understand?"

Yuuki stared at her, maybe trying to figure out who she was and where he was. Then, he nodded, eyes already closing. But it was an unmistakable sign of awareness. His breathing became steady and regular.

Izumi straightened up, eyes moving to the displays. He was merely sleeping. After more than a year, he woke up.

She dropped the bag, which thumped on the ground, and rushed to the door.

"Mr Nakano! Mrs Nakano! We must call Liz! Something amazing happened!"

* * *

The parade had reached its peak. There were so many people around them that it was difficult to take one step. They had found themselves near a group of tourists, American or European, laughing and pointing everything with enthusiasm.

One of her friends turned toward Elisabeth and said something. She nodded, even if half of the words got lost in the noise. That day was turning out to be more enjoying than anticipated.

She put a hand in her bag and caught her phone. She unlocked the screen, laughing when one of the others grabbed her arm.

And her blood froze.

She had four lost calls. One of Izumi, two of her grandparents and one of Kosuke.

"Liz, is everything alright?"

She flinched and spun toward her friends, worried and puzzled expressions on their face. Then her phone began to ring again.

"I must take it", she replied hastily activating the call.

"_Elisabeth, thank goodness you answered. I'm coming to pick you up. Can you reach-"_

She could hear her heart throbbing loudly. She exhaled a shaky breath and closed the call, hands trembling. _No, no, no._ Nothing should have happened. _Don't let it be Grandma_, she begged in her mind, _don't let it be Yuuki._

"Nozomi, girls, I have to go. I'll call you."

Elisabeth barely waited for a nod, then she rushed to make her way through the crowd, anxiety rising with every step. She should have thought of an excuse, but she wasn't enough clear-headed at that moment. When the crowd thinned out, Elisabeth took off running, her only worry was reaching Kosuke.

After a few minutes, she saw him, standing by his car, looking restlessly around. Elisabeth hastened, out of breath and aching muscles, even before he noticed her.

"Kosuke!"

He spun in her direction. "Elisabeth!" He was smiling. And she felt a tiny, tiny hope slipping inside her fear. "Get in the car."

She grabbed his arm to keep him from getting in the front side. "What is happening?"

She wanted to have hope, with all her heart, but she needed to hear it. Kosuke nodded grinning. And Elisabeth's eyes got watery, and her heartbeat slowed again.

They got in the car, and she rested against the backseat, her hands on her smiling mouth. The first tears were sparkling on her eyelids. She couldn't believe it.

"Yuuki woke up…"

The ride to her home flew by. Before she knew it, Elisabeth rushed through the front door and found herself in her grandma's embrace.

"Oh, Reiko. It's so unbelievable. After all this time, dear. After all this time."

They pulled apart and the elder stroked her cheek. "Go."

Elisabeth didn't wait further. She climbed the stairs at breakneck speed, almost tripping a few times. She threw open the door of Yuuki's room, leaning breathlessly against the doorstep.

"I'm here."

Near the bed, there were Izumi and her grandfather, gruffly sitting on the chair. Little further, there was also doctor Aosawa. Elisabeth made eye contact with him. He nodded.

"All the values are getting back within a safe range. And, according to miss Kinomoto, he's regaining consciousness. In the next few days, we could define a prognosis."

Elisabeth squealed in joy and ran to throw her arms around the doctor's neck. She pulled apart right away and hugged her grandfather, then she squeezed her friends Izumi. The two girls burst out laughing, almost bouncing.

The two men exchanged a look, and Mr Nakano shook his head.

"Obviously, it's too early to know how his recovery will be. After a year in a coma, his rehabilitation may be lengthy. Even the simplest things may prove to be difficult for a while."

Elisabeth nodded. Next months will not be easy, but Yuuki had already taken the most difficult step.

* * *

Yuuki felt something grazing his face, a fresh and light breeze. Strangely, he didn't feel pain, only great tiredness. He was almost sure that dying on a piece of asphalt could not be like that. Did those men return? Did they take him somewhere? He really hoped that Dan had managed to save himself.

He tried to move his fingers and felt soft fabric under his fingerprints. He gave up on trying to sit up and listened, eyes still closed.

He remembered the roses and Kajitsu. But that had to be a dream.

He remembered two men and one girl in a car. He wondered if that was also a figment of his imagination.

Yuuki forced himself to open his eyes. It was an exhausting task. He blinked groggily, bringing into focus an unknown room. It didn't seem a hospital nor a place where to keep a prisoner. Where did they bring him?

Breathing in, he tried to raise his chest, but he barely managed to move his head. There were medical machinery and an IV near him. And a pot of roses. He was pretty sure to bet that his almost assassins wouldn't grant him all of that. Maybe Dan had found help and had come back to save him. Maybe they were those people he remembered.

He heard the door opening and a soft cry of surprise. With effort, he turned his head and saw a girl coming toward him, smiling and with bright eyes.

"Hi, Yuuki. I think you'll have many questions but know that here you are safe."

The White Soldier tried to stand up a second time, but the girl stopped him putting a hand on his shoulder and shaking her head.

"Not so fast. You have to give time to your muscles. You woke up only yesterday."

Yuuki frowned. The previous day he was with Dan, they duelled. What did she mean by he woke up _only yesterday_?

"I'm Elisabeth", the girl added and took a deck from the nightstand near the bed. She offered him the first two.

"Someone told me they are important for you."

He held them between his fingers, and, after a few attempts, he succeeded at lifting his arm and having the cards in his line of sight. The Providence Hououga and The DoomKnightLord Ragna-Rock. He smiled and let his arm drop against his chest.

"Ka-", he coughed, his voice barely higher than a hoarse whisper. "Kajitsu."

* * *

**A/N: Hello! And chapter three is also done. We have almost reached the middle of this fanfic and the start of the duels.**

**I hope you like it, even the ending twist. Yuuki was never meant to stay in a coma for many chapters (even if, considering the off-screen time in the story, he was in a coma for more than a year).**

**A big thank you to all the people who read this story. I hope we'll see us again next time.**

**If you have any questions, comments, doubts or if you want to tell me what you think about it, feel free to leave a review. But, really, thank you even if you'll decide only to read.**

**Til next time!**

**Gate Open! Release!**

**Originally posted on "EFP il tuo sito di fanfiction": 15 October 2018 (revised version), 9 October 2013 (original version)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Mai stretched her arms behind her back, fingers brushing the bush behind the bench. A gust of wind pulled a strand from her hairclip. She adjusted it and resumed typing on her laptop keyboard, perched on her thighs.

She liked to spend her afternoons on that rooftop when she didn't have to study. That place was full of memories, some that still hurt, but it had the advantage to be little frequented. Especially that morning, with a Battle Spirits tournament scheduled downstairs. Its flyers plastered even the staircases that led up there.

Checked the last sentence she wrote, Mai closed the laptop and shoved it inside her bag. Her fingers grazed her cards holder, and wistfulness enveloped her. She bit her lip and took it out. For long moments she stared at the purple holder, overwhelmed by all the emotions it evoked in her. Slowly, she extracted her cards and flipped through them. They were relics of a past she still couldn't bear.

"You're not telling me you want to join the tournament, are you?"

Mai's head spun in the direction of the voice. She was so deep in thought that she didn't even notice Hideto and Kenzo's approach, now smiling a step from her.

"You know I don't play anymore", Mai whispered placing the cards away in haste.

The two boys exchanged a resigned look, taking advantage of Mai's distraction. She grabbed her bag and got up.

"Mai, you loved Battle Spirits. You were a champion! Let's join the tournament together. Reaching the first place will be funnier for me."

The Purple Soldier gasped, outraged. "That makes you think you'll win?"

"The extensive knowledge of my cards, obviously!"

Kenzo snorted, rolling his eyes. "Your obsession, you mean."

"Our little genius is envious. Hard to accept that someone knows more than you?"

The Green Soldier spluttered and the other two laughed. After a moment, Kenzo laughed too. Hideto put his arms around his two friends' shoulder.

"And when they saw all of us participate? Maybe someone will throw a fit."

Mai broke apart and stepped a few steps away. Hideto and Kenzo stopped laughing. She went to the parapet and laid her hands on its rough surface. She breathed in. From that day in September, it wasn't the first time that, when they were happy together, she wondered if her decision was right. She clutched her pendant and opened it. Dan's face welcomed her with his unique smile. They lost Dan. They believed to have lost Yuuki.

She closed the locket and turned toward the two, a steady smile on her face.

"I don't have fun playing Battle Spirits anymore. But I'll be your first fan at the tournament!"

Hideto and Kenzo had never believed her claim; they had tried to encourage her in every way since their return from the future. Mai had been adamant. But they saw the longing in her eyes when she thought they didn't pay attention. Mai loved Battle Spirits; it was a part of her. It was something that brought them together, even when the Core Soldiers were apart. They hoped that one day she'd remember it.

"Let's go downstairs. Or we risk turning up when the rounds will be finished", Kenzo said.

The other two nodded and started walking. On the stairs, Hideto flanked Mai.

"And the blog? Did you think about it? You were talking about opening a new one."

She hummed. "Didn't decide yet. It may be nice: like we were back at Grand Lolo. But it may be dangerous if it becomes popular. I'd prefer not to repeat some past experiences."

"I totally agree."

The entrance was crowded with boys and girls of all ages. Beyond the signup queues, people in groups chatted and argued about strategy, cards and clarifications about the rules. The three Core Soldiers stared at that crow of battlers all full of hopes, as they had been in that tournament in which they met for the very first time.

They stopped behind the last person in line. Mai watched achingly the enthusiasm of all those teens. She had felt it too, not so long ago. But it wasn't enough anymore and, maybe, she understood what Dan might have felt. After the sacrifices, the grief and the success, those duels felt pointless. Almost a mockery.

"We're almost there."

Kenzo's voice snapped Mai from her reverie. Only a few people were left.

"I'll wait for you over there. There's no use in lengthening the queue."

The two boys watched her moving away, helpless and without a reason to push her again toward Battle Spirits. It was difficult for them too, but if they allowed even Battle Spirits to be taken away from them, it'd be like a surrender.

"Surname, name and colour of the deck", chanted with bored politeness the young woman seated behind the desk, a neutral smile plastered on her face.

"Suzuri Hideto. Blue-Red."

The woman automatically moved the pen toward the piece of paper. Then, she hesitated and looked up. A flash of recognition and anxiety crossed her eyes, but she didn't say anything. She merely scribbled his data, tight-lipped. It was clear she didn't anticipate facing one of the Bearers of Core's Light.

"The next."

"Hyoudo Kenzo. Green."

Nearby, Mai was leaning against one of the columns, her eyes staring off and her mind wandering far away. A snigger louder than others halted abruptly her train of thoughts.

"Who, that Bashin Dan?"

The Purple Soldier pushed herself from the column, searching for the owner's voice. She saw him near, in a little group of boys with age like hers. He had his arms crossed against his chest and a smug sneer on his face. He was watching a boy who was gesticulating wildly.

"I'm telling you. That Bashin Dan was formidable! Before his disappearance, none could beat him."

"None? Who?", the other snapped looking down on. "The grade schoolers? Imagine what fearsome opponents they were. It's a shame that I moved here only a few months ago. I'd have shown you the real unstoppable battler!"

"Nobody had defeated him since the new year", a little girl almost beside Mai whispered excitedly. Her friend widened her eyes, admired.

"But Bashin was known as the Clash King!", another one of the girls replied.

"Bashin Dan had an extraordinary record. In the last tournament he was listed, he was defeating everyone. According to some, he could have been in the run to be the Japan delegate at the Championship!", the gesticulating boy added empathetically.

The other one laughed. "Sure. And they'd have sent a _Core Soldier_ to represent us."

More than a few of the boys flanking him guffawed like him. Mai felt her stomach twist, familiar cold worming inside her. Fear, shame: all emotions she had felt in the past two years. But they were fast surpassed by something else: anger. A scorching fury which made her more clear-minded, as she hadn't been in a lot of time.

"He was only a fanatic fool, he and the other one, the White Soldier. Didn't he leave that tournament out of the blue? Bashin must have finally ended like him. Or maybe he finally had felt ashamed."

The Purple Soldier clenched her fits, embedding her nails in her palms. How he dared spoke about them in that way, she thought in rage. How he dared spoke in that way about Yuuki, about _Dan_. He was just one of those who thought to know everything, from the top of his perfect pedestal, ready to spit judgments and to preen.

Until last year, Mai would have fled, head low and hoping none would recognise her.

Maybe, once at home, she would have cried tears of humiliation and frustration.

But she had gone in the future.

She had found Yuuki again, alive against all the odds.

Dan had sacrificed himself even for people like _him_.

Until last year, she would have fled. But a year had passed. And she realised she was tired to run away.

"Mai, is everything alright?"

Her gaze met the perplexed ones of Hideto and Kenzo. She smiled.

"Great, everything is just great", she said with an unwavering voice which remembered her of Viole Mai, which remembered her the Purple Soldier that she once was. At Grand Lolo and in the future. The time had come for the present to meet the real Shinomiya Mai.

She got past her friends, without leaving them the time to ask for explanations. She was sure they'd understand. She headed to the inscriptions desk and the few people she came across in her wake scurried sideways.

A boy was moving toward the desk. Mai took his place, with no time for him to complain. She slammed her hand on it, uncaring of the reproach in the woman's eyes.

"She's the blogger, the one of _The Purple Talk_", murmured a female voice. More than a few people in the queue leant to figure out what was happening. Hideto and Kenzo arrived a moment later.

"Shinomiya Mai. Purple-Red."

The other two Core Soldier widened their mouth. They weren't even able to be happy, more concerned about the reason for Mai's reaction.

"_Enrolled_", spelt it out the woman, clearly annoyed. "You can wait for the draws."

Mai spun on her feet and marched in the direction she came. Hideto rolled his eyes, betting that they'd be without answers again. Kenzo was already sprinting to be not left behind by her. The Blue Soldier hastened, reaching his friend first, and grabbed her arm to halt her race.

"Mai, what on Earth is happening?"

"Later", she countered. "Now I have to do something."

The Purple Soldier freed herself from his grasp and went on. The two resigned themselves to follow her. She reached the group where they were still laughing, slipping among them and stopping in front of the mocking one. All shut up. The silence, like a wave, propagated in all the room. Many crowded around them to see what was happening. Hideto and Kenzo struggled to not be pushed away. In the blink of an eye and little surprise from all, everyone discovered that the cause of the scene was a Core Soldier.

Mai directed an icy glare toward the boy, who looked her up and down. It wasn't enough to intimidate her.

"Do you have something to say to me? Or you prefer to speak behind our backs?"

"Why? Didn't the world saviours read the newspapers?", he said smirking. "You were the talk of the city. Or did you all hide in shame?"

"It's you who should hide those tonsils, sometimes. I don't think they need so much air."

More than one chuckle rose from the crowd, even among the boy's friends. He turned toward them and silenced them with a glare.

"_Viole_, I don't know why you honoured us with this visit but be a good girl and go back to play with your playmates over there."

"Shinomiya", she hissed crossing her arms. She was barely restraining herself from slapping him. "And I'm here to hear what you have to say about us."

The boy raised an eyebrow. Then he grinned deviously.

"As you wish. I think you were less than average battler searching for fame. You were competing to win the title of blogger of the year, didn't you? Wasn't that enough for you? Obviously not. And so, all of you thought to build your success at the expense of the world. Other battlers should have been chosen."

"Battlers like _you_?", Mai scoffed at him, hands on her hips.

"Yes!", he said venomously. "I'd have been a thousand times better than you. I'd have made Otherworld's King cry. I'd have forced him to do what I said. You were too weak, and now it's _us_ who pay the consequences."

The Purple Soldier moved forward, now only a step from him. She looked at him with contempt.

"The world should be grateful that you weren't chosen."

The boy got closer, almost nose to nose, fury shining in his eyes. Mai stood her ground without blinking. Their gazes met, and neither wanted to lower it.

"Viole, if you are here looking for trouble-"

"No", the Purple Soldier cut with steely voice. "I'm here to warn you. I'm sure you and your ego are in this tournament. I hope that you are as strong as you say and that you'll not be defeated before I met you. And, when you'll face me, I'll make sure you take back every single word you spoke about us, about Yuuki and about Dan."

She spun on her feet and took a step. Then she threw him an irked glare. "And I'm _Shinomiya_ Mai."

And she stomped toward the exit, without deigning him of a further glance. Some of the boy's friends had to seize him to prevent him from following her.

"It's a challenge, Core Soldier?", he yelled behind her back. "I can't wait to blast you away. When we'll see if you'll still want to talk tough!"

Mai slammed the door, almost hitting Hideto and Kenzo who were immediately on her heels. Excited chatter filled the room after their exit.

The two had to chase her, striding toward the terrace they left before.

Hideto and Kenzo reached her when she threw her bag on the bench. She turned to meet their gaze, her eyes flashing in rage and her hair crashing against her cheeks.

"How he _dares_! Weren't we tarnished enough? Didn't they mock us enough? We needed him, that nasty, pompous, cocky, arrogant windbag!", she almost growled after the last words. She moved toward the parapet and laid her hands on it, flexing her fingers. "I'll show him."

Hideto was near her and rested his hand on her shoulder. "Mai, it's nothing we didn't hear before. What's different?"

She closed her eyes and shook her head. So many things were different for her. Dan died. Yuuki was in a coma. She couldn't take in silence anymore.

"It's different", she repeated softly.

Kenzo got closer, eyes shining. "But you were fantastic. You spoke for all of us. If he got some brains, he should hope to not duel with you."

"It was hilarious looking at you", the Blue Soldier almost laughed. "Viole Mai's good old days. You only missed a well-placed flying kick."

Mai couldn't stop a little embarrassed smile and felt her cheeks warm up. If she was honest, she had to admit that outburst had been satisfying and strangely freeing.

"Do you think I overacted?" she asked raising her head, a lopsided grin on her face. The two laughed.

"Maybe you were too soft! But he'll realise it. There'll be three Core Soldiers in this tournament: he'll understand what it feels like to battle against us."

Mai sobered. Her gaze moved to the building beyond the road and the sky behind them.

"If I'll meet you on my way, I'd have to defeat you. It'll be me to make him pay."

"We won't be outdone", the Green Soldier said cheerfully. But his voice was steadfast.

They were battlers: on the field, there was no friend. They were opponents and doing their best was the only way to honour that friendship.

And, as Hideto and Kenzo had guessed, Mai had only needed an incentive to overcome her last obstacle.

* * *

"Kenzo!"

He ignored Mai's calls, nearer and nearer. He was still hearing that laugh in his mind. He hadn't felt so much disappointment for a duel in a long time.

The bushes of the terrace stood out ahead of him, but he could only take a few steps before she caught up with him and held him in her arms.

"I'm sorry."

The Green Soldier's arms stayed limp. He was frozen and struggling to hold in tears of frustration.

"It's not fair! I didn't deserve to leave at the quarterfinals. It shouldn't have been _him_ to defeat me."

"I know", Mai soothed him pulling back.

Hideto reached them and put an arm around his friend's shoulders. "You got an unlucky draw. It happens."

Kenzo sighed. "Maybe, but that one is skilled too. It's not only empty talk. You have to be careful."

"We'll avenge you, Kenzo. Be sure of it", added Mai with a smile.

"It'll sure be one of us", the Blue Soldier became grim. "Even if it'll be only in the final."

The Purple Soldier flinched and turned toward him. "No."

"Yes. In the second semi-finals, it'll be me against you."

All three of them looked at each other in silence. Then Hideto stretched out his hand. "May the best win."

"May the best win", she repeated holding his hand.

* * *

Hideto stared at the people walking on the road below, imagining what could be their stories and what brought them there that day.

His defeat stung, even if his opponent was Mai.

That loudmouth had still to finish his duel, kept a close eye on it by Kenzo. It'd be ironic, he thought chuckling, if he'd lose in the semi-final dodging the Purple Soldier's fury.

He shoved his hands in his pockets, realising what had been the reason he lost. From the first moment, Mai had been the most motivated. She took to heart the insult. It was almost impossible to stop her when she aimed at something.

"I hope you'll not be upset."

He smiled when Mai flanked him, both their gaze toward the city.

"A defeat is a defeat. I'll survive." He shrugged. "At least I lost against you. You were amazing. A fantastic duel."

"You were no less."

"But this time wasn't enough."

The city noise filled the silence between them. Hideto turned toward her.

"You are our representative now. Battle for us."

"You bet", she said firmly. _This duel will be for all of you. I'll battle in your names, in Yuuki's name. And for you, Dan. I'll win. This is a promise._

* * *

Strained anticipation filled the whole room. All contestants and spectators were crammed around the table with the game mats for the final. The referee had required a few empty steps around it and several times was forced to scold and move further some people.

The man checked the time and extracted from his pocket the piece of paper on which he wrote the finalists' name. The tournament organisers had hoped it'd be a success, but he bet they hadn't anticipated finding among the contestants no less than _three_ Bearers of Core's Light. People would talk about that tournament.

"It's about to start the final phase of the tournament that will declare the winner", he began with the usual phrases, the same he used all the afternoon. "Cheating will not be allowed. The battlers' decks must respect the current banned list, and every point of the rule must be adhered to. The two finalists take a step forward."

Mai and the boy stopped by the chairs.

"At my right, Tanaka Shiro. At my left, Shinomiya Mai. Ready the field."

The Purple Soldier glanced and smiled toward Hideto and Kenzo, who had managed to find an acceptable spot to watch the game. Without diverting her eyes from her opponent, she took her deck and placed it on the table. Shiro, on the opposite side, mimicked her. Then, he turned toward his friends, who were clapping and whistling and annoying the other spectators.

"Ready to admire the next winner? You'll see that I'm the strongest! Not Bashin", he looked toward her smugly. "And, sure, not you Shinomiya."

"We'll see", Mai deadpanned.

The referee pulled out a yen and, in agreement with the two teens, threw it in air.

The first turn was Mai's.

"Battlers, ready to start."

* * *

**A/N: Hello! And for once I'm on time with my tentative schedule!**

**Wait for the duels from the next chapter.**

**A little note. Battle Spirits Saga first episode was aired… and, well, I can confirm definitely what my series will be canon-divergent. Never thought this day would come!****!ASWQ1WED**** I may borrow some things from them, but I outlined too much of my stories to make substantial changes.**

**A big thank you to all the people who read this story. I hope we'll see us again next time.**

**If you have any questions, comments, doubts or if you want to tell me what you think about it, feel free to leave a review. But, really, thank you even if you'll decide only to read.**

**Til next time!**

**Gate Open! Release!**

* * *

**Originally posted on "EFP il tuo sito di fanfiction": 22 October 2018 (revised version), 12 October 2013 (original version)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Yuuki forced his body to move forward, trying to ignore his sweating brow and trembling legs. He managed two more steps, but then he had to lean against one of the columns of the bungalow. He inhaled and exhaled, then he pushed himself and grabbed the chair right beside him.

He was still so weak. _Far too_ weak, he thought bitterly, letting himself slide on the chair. Even if Reiko, or Elisabeth as she preferred, the Nakano and the physiotherapist kept telling him that his recovery was something _miraculous_. He who, not even a month since his awakening, shouldn't have been able to walk for so long, to take the stairs, to be so lucid.

It wasn't enough for him.

He had been in a coma for a _year_. A year in which he left his friends alone. Elisabeth was only able to tell him that Mai was fine, that she was in touch with her, and that all the others, even Dan, kept themselves far from the spotlight.

Yuuki clenched his fists, a flash of fury crossed his eyes.

Kajitsu had asked him to be the White Soldier again, but how could he be of some use in that state? He even failed to protect her memory.

Maybe, Otherworld King had been right. He truly was cursed, doomed to wallow in despair and hate. Hopeless. Alone. Defeated.

He clutched the table edge and tried to stand up, but an exasperated voice behind him stopped his efforts.

"Yuuki, _again_. You know you must not overtire yourself."

He clenched his jaw and sat again. Elisabeth took the chair across from him, reproach obvious in her eyes. She and her family had welcomed him without asking anything: their kindness only highlighted more his uselessness.

"I know my limits. You don't need to worry."

Elisabeth tightened her lips, by no means convinced, but perfectly aware that she'd never get the upper hand on that front. Not when, after only two weeks, she found him downstairs about to pass out from the exertion: only to avoid relying on their help or use her grandparents' stairlift.

"And calling your friends is beyond those limits? They'd be thrilled to know you are awake!"

Yuuki turned away, his gaze halting on the rose bushes. "For what? To be seen in this condition? It's better this way."

She narrowed her eyes, bewildered by his stubbornness: he awfully reminded her grandfather's stories of samurais. Honour before all, the need to not be seen weak. She brought on the table her hand, the one she kept hidden under it, placing with emphasis her deck.

"Alright, then I challenge you. If I win, we'll do this my way."

Yuuki raised an eyebrow, more than a little amused by that new tactic. "Didn't you say that you have little experience? Are you sure you want to battle a Core Soldier?"

She pushed the deck toward him. "Very thoughtful, Yuuki. Or maybe the White Soldier is afraid to lose?"

Their gaze met. He took his deck, which he always kept with him, removed two cards and offered it to Elisabeth.

"Challenge accepted, but then don't say I didn't warn you."

* * *

Even while shuffling their cards, Mai and Shiro glowered to each other, searching for weak spots to exploit. The Purple Soldier was trying to keep in check her fury, but the boy's attitude didn't help at all: his overconfidence, his arrogance, his conviction to be better than everyone, only because he could play at Battle Spirits, were really getting on her nerves.

It was painful to compare him to Dan. The two couldn't have been more different. Her Dan loved to battle others, and, for him, none was a lesser opponent, even the weaker. For him, every duel had something special to give.

"So, _Viole_", Shiro said smirking. "Excited? You don't have every day the chance to face the strongest battler."

Mai put down his cards. That boy had the same self-importance of Otherworld King and that didn't make him less obnoxious in her eyes.

"You're absolutely right", she replied entwining her hands on the table and smiling sweetly, "the duel against _Dan_ will always have a fond place in my heart."

Shiro slammed the deck on the mat. "Bitter, Shinomiya? You are too pretty to be so nasty, even if you are a Core Soldier."

"But you remember my name!", she said cheerfully picking up her deck. "And here I believed you were deaf. Then listen and listen well." Her voice lost all her light-heartedness. "Looks can be deceiving, and you'll find out it soon. Don't think you can sweeten me with your pitiful flatteries."

"Sweetie, none taught you that you never refuse a compliment?"

"I usually don't accept them by who add insults to them", she said without losing a beat, still mixing her cards.

"Insults?" Shiro sniggered. "How ugly opinion you have about me. I'm sure that knowing me, you'll like me more."

"I doubt it. My opinion could only worsen. As indeed yours about us Bearers of Core's Light."

Mai placed her deck on the mat and picked the Cores, five Lives and four in the Reserve. He glowered, slamming his deck and rattling the Cores.

"I'm bored with you, Shinomiya. I was trying to be nice, but it's useless with you. Don't count on me to show mercy."

"Perfect, because I won't show you any. I held back a very special card precisely for this duel."

"So _scary_!" Shiro snapped, placing the last Core. "Bashin's little friend is showing off and thinks that being a Core Soldier makes her stronger."

"You'll find out at your expense how strong I am." Mai drew the first four cards.

Shiro wanted to retort, but the referee coughed to gain their attention. He sent an irritated look to both. Around them, the chatter didn't seem to ease, and more than a few were ready to bet on the potential winner. Shiro scoffed and took his four cards.

"Battlers, if you don't mind, the duel should start. Sort out your disagreement at the end of the tournament."

**(TURN 1)**

"My cards will speak for me. Start Step. Draw Step."

Mai added the fifth card with a curt gesture. For a brief moment, she closed her eyes. It was almost a year since she played Battle Spirits, but it was as no time had passed. The excitement, the drive she had felt then, were blossomed again inside her: like a Grand Lolo, like in the future.

It was almost as being once more on the battlefield. She almost felt the fabric of her uniform, the hard steel under her feet and the air thrumming with anticipation.

She smiled and opened her eyes. She could not lose.

"Main Step. I summon The HellFighter Balam a level 1."

Mai placed the card, moving her last Core on it. Balam was in front of her, ready to battle. She raised her eyes and threw her challenge.

"Turn end."

**(TURN 2)**

Shiro shot her a condescending smile. "I expected something more from you, Core Soldier. Start Step, Core Step."

He added the fifth Core, confident in his strategy, sure to gain the upper hand, as he did manage with the other one.

"I'll show you what a great battler is able to do. Draw Step."

Mai's expression was unmoved, and he snatched the fifth card.

"Main Step. I summon Rock-Golem at level 2. Attack Step: Rock-Golem strikes."

Shiro exhausted the card. Mai shifted her hand toward the Life Cores: she had expected an aggressive strategy.

"Take it from the Life."

He smirked. "Rock-Golem ability: _Demolish_. You lose cards equal to my Spirit's level. Say bye-bye to your two cards."

Mai didn't skip a bit. She moved the Core to her Reserve and took the first two cards of her deck, placing them in her Trash: Big Bang Energy and Hellwitch. She smiled anyway, thinking at the blue shell that would have protected her on the real battlefield, and the hit of her crushed Life Core. It was only a small sacrifice to reach victory.

"My turn ends here. I really want to see what you'll do, Shinomiya."

**(TURN 3)**

"Start Step", Mai said with a steady voice. "Core Step, Draw Step and Refresh Step."

She carried out each action one after the other, without hesitation. A new card was added to her hand and five Cores were ready in her Reserve.

"Main Step. I summon Dinonychusaw at level 1 and bring Balam to level three. Now, Attack Step: The HellFighter Balam attack!"

She turned the card without lowering her eyes, fixed on her opponent's ones. He surveyed his field and his hand and, then, moved one Life Core.

"Take it from the Life. Satisfied?"

Mai leant on the chair, a fake smile on her lips. "It's only the beginning. Turn end."

**(TURN 4)**

Shiro sneered, his hand already above the Core Pool. "_Frightening_. Start Step, Core Step and Draw Step."

He glanced at the card drawn, a Magic. Not useful right away, but he was sure that it'd come in handy to face Mai's moves.

"Refresh Step: Rock-Golem is ready to battle again. Main Step: I summon Block-Golem at level 1 and bring Rock-Golem to level 3. Attack Step with both my Spirits!"

He turned the two cards. "What do you do now, Shinomiya? And don't forget Rock-Golem's _Demolish_. You discard three more cards!"

She didn't show any emotion, hell-bent to not give him weak spots. Flame Cyclone, Asthal and Bloody Coffin were added in her Trash.

"Dinonychusaw blocks Block-Golem, and I take the other from the Life."

The little dinosaur had fewer battle points and, after the block, Mai placed it in her Trash. Then she took the second Life Core. Shiro was gloating.

"Turn End. Having a hard time, eh? Shocked by my skill?"

**(TURN 5)**

Mai held back a laugh. "If that is the best you can do, you have a really long way to reach Dan's level." _Mostly as a person_, she concluded in her mind.

She didn't wait for his replay.

"Start Step, Core Step, Draw Step and Refresh Step. Balam is unexhausted."

Then, she placed the last card drawn on the field.

"Main Step: I summon Rainydle at level 1 and lower Balam at the first level. Then, I deploy The Sunstone Shrine at level 2."

She'd have wanted that arrogant to see it, to feel it: the pyramid rising from the rocks, standing in all its glory against the sky, radiating red light, Dan's light. In the end, it was him to dye her his colours.

Mai placed her arm on the table. "Turn End. _Please_, keep amazing me."

"Afraid to take risks? Only three Lives, I understand you."

She fixed a lock of her hair behind her ear. "The moment has not come yet."

**(TURN 6)**

Shiro ignored her subtle threat. Turn after turn, he'd prevail.

"Start Step, Core Step, Draw Step and Refresh Step. Both my Spirits are ready."

He straightened both and, with a wicked grin, took the new card and swayed it in front of his face.

"It's time to get serious." He placed the card on the field. "Main step: I deploy The Honorable Fight and bring it to level 2, lowering Rock-Golem at 2. Then, Attack Step: I launch an attack with both my Spirits."

Mai analysed her possibility, reassured by her correct guess on her opponent: it was an impetuous style, aiming for deck destruction and not taking care of anything else.

"I block Rock-Golem with Balam, and I take the other from the Life."

"Don't forget my Spirits' effects", he said with thinly disguised delight, elated by Mai's only two Lives and the more Spirits in the Trash. "_Demolish_ deprives you of two cards plus three more thanks to my Nexus. And it allows me to activate Block-Golem effect: two more cards."

Mai moved the cards without a word, head held high. Ankillersaurus, The Cursed Shrine, Rainydle, The HellFighter Balam, another The Cursed Shrine, Hellescorpio and The RiseDragon Balmung went in the Trash, shrinking her deck again.

"Turn End", Shiro snapped, annoyed by the Core Soldier's lack of reaction. He wanted to make her tremble. "I activate the effect of The Honorable Fight: Rock-Golem refreshes. I wonder what you will do to avoid losing my next turn, Shinomiya."

* * *

Yuuki shuffled his deck and placed it on the table. Elisabeth had already set up the Core Pool.

Waiting to start gave him a strange sensation. His last duel, before nearly dying, before the coma, felt so fresh. He still thought that only a few days had passed since playing with Dan, but a year had happened. He couldn't imagine what his friends should have endured especially if, as Elisabeth had explained, they believed him dead.

Elisabeth placed her deck and met his gaze.

"Why did you take away those cards?"

"The Providence Hououga and The DoomLordKnight Ragna-Rock."

She widened her eyes. "Why do you not want to use them?"

Yuuki averted his eyes, grabbing his first four cards. "I won't use them anymore."

Many memories were attached to those cards, way too tied to his loved sister: using them would tarnish her presence.

She lowered her eyes, no words she could offer. She still remembered Mai's words.

"Who starts?"

His voice startled her, and she snapped to attention. "What? Who starts? Beh, I challenged you. I start. Alright?", she blurted all at once, flushing.

Yuuki barely nodded. Elisabeth took a breath to try easing her excitement and drew her first four cards. She had never faced a battler as strong as a Core Soldier must be, who would surely defeat her with little effort. She hadn't battle much at all. But she should at least try, until the last turn.

**(TURN 1)**

"Alright. Start Step, Draw Step."

She added the new card, first move already chosen.

"Main Step. I deploy The Fruit of Wise Tree at level 1 and end my turn."

**(TURN 2)**

Yuuki blanched, eyes fixed on the card just deployed by Elisabeth. He struggled to stop his hands from shaking. The last time he saw that card, it was during the battle with Chlothar, when Kajitsu was still by his side. And, in front of his eyes, he saw her in place of Elisabeth. Not as she was then, but as the little child that she was when he thought her to play Battle Spirits.

_Kajitsu was focused on the cards in her hand, lips pursed, and nose scrunched. She was cute. Then her face relaxed. Smiling with delight, she gently placed a card on the field. She raised her eyes to meet his._

"_I deploy… The Fruit of Wise Tree."_

_She had been great, reciting the formula without help. He had smiled._

"_Nice move, little sister."_

_She had beamed. Happy. "Thank you!"_

"Yuuki?"

He flinched, blinked, and the memory faded from his eyes. Elisabeth was staring at him, already half raised from the chair.

"It's everything alright?"

The White Soldier closed his eyes for a split second, clenching the hand on his leg. He inhaled, trying to quench all those memories that could overwhelm him, and opened his eyes. He smiled, lips pressed together.

"I'm fine. You don't have to worry. That card", he sighed, "Kajitsu always used it."

Elisabeth sat down again: there was nothing she could say to comfort him. For a moment, she had been really scared: Yuuki's gaze had been so far away. She didn't think that some of her cards could have been used by Kajitsu. She felt so stupid: she had seen Hououga. She had admitted that she took inspiration from his deck! She wanted to cheer him up, but she was achieving the opposite result.

"Start Step, Core Step and Draw Step."

He added the fifth card to his hand and extracted two others from it, placing them on the field.

"Main Step: I summon Berserker-Gun and The Sacred Gugnir at level 1. Then, Attack Step with both my Spirits."

He turned the cards. Elisabeth jumped, caught off guard by how fast Yuuki had found the focus again and how heedlessly he launched his first attack. She hesitated and then put her hand on the Core Lives.

"I take both from the Life. Thanks to my Nexus, I get two Cores from the Void to the Reserve."

Yuuki leant on the chair. "Turn End."

**(TURN 3)**

Elisabeth heard him, but she didn't move and just stared at the mat. It was extremely obvious who was the experienced one, even if Yuuki didn't battle for over a year. She was still upset from seeing the outcome of using the card tied to Kajitsu. It was foolish, but she had really thought that he'd take it easy since she was still learning.

If she wanted to have a chance to win, she'd have to try more.

"My turn. Start Step, Core Step and Draw Step", she said in one breath. "Refresh Step and Main Step."

Elisabeth paused on the new card, unsure if summoning the Spirit right away was the right choice. In the end, she opted for two cards already in her hand.

"I summon The Fairy Tanya at level 1 and Gremly at 3. Then, I bring The Fruit of Wise Tree up to level 2."

She was afraid that every one of her cards would worsen the situation. Yuuki's mind was still so frail, even if he refused more aid. Her hand trembled, and she closed her eyes. She must stay concentrate.

"Attack Step", she opened the eyes, "with Gremly."

Yuuki moved one Life Core without hesitation. "Take it from the Life."

She couldn't help grinning: her first attack had been successful. She was almost tempted to attack again but she preferred to not risk.

"Turn End. For The Fruit of Life's level two effect, Gremly refreshes."

**(TURN 4)**

Yuuki placed the hand with the cards on the table and stared at her.

"Why did you decide to not attack with The Fairy Tanya? I didn't have blocking spirits and at your Turn End they'd refresh."

Elisabeth laughed and shrugged. "You could use a Magic and put me in a disadvantage."

"You think I'm so cruel?" Yuuki said, the corner of his lips wrinkling.

"You didn't start slow in your first turn", she scoffed, pointing a finger against him. "I'll have time to attack in next turns!"

Yuuki raised his hand again: Elisabeth was inexperienced but resolute, he had to concede that.

"Start Step, Core Step and Draw Step."

He added the card and turned to her. "You didn't start badly for a rookie. But remembers well: every turn count, even the first, and it could lead you to victory or to defeat."

She nodded.

"Refresh Step and Main Step. I rise of both my Spirits at level 2. Your turn."

**(TURN 5)**

Elisabeth repeated his words in her mind, touched by how he was helping her to improve even during the duel. Proving she could live up to his expectation was an incentive to become better. She'd show him that she was a good battler.

"Start Step, Core Step and Draw Step."

New card added to her hand and Cores transferred from Trash to Reserve, she grabbed the one drawn in the turn before.

"Refresh Step and Main Step. I summon one of my favourite's Spirits, The Angelia Cherubim at level 2 borrowing the necessary Cores from Gremly. Due to her summoning, I can reveal a number of cards for every Yellow Symbol on my field. If I find a Magic, I can add it to my hand. There are three Symbols."

One after the other, she turned the three cards: The CleverBeast Iberix, The Fruit of Wise Tree and Same Tired. Elisabeth frowned, not looking forward to having to give up those two cards. She added the third one and tucked the others at the bottom of her deck. She glanced at Yuuki, fully aware that move could benefit him too. Not only he knew two more cards of her deck, allowing him to adapt his strategy, but he knew she wouldn't be able to use them anymore in that duel. She should have to be careful.

Elisabeth touched one of her lined-up Spirits, then she stopped. Even if she had the advantage of numbers, all of them except The Angelia Cherubim were weaker. If she wanted to attack, it was on it she should rely on. She moved her hand and opened the mouth to declare the next phase but then she remembered Gugnir's effect. If it'd be the blocking Spirit, she'll found herself with a card sent to her hand. And if she had noticed it, Yuuki surely had taken it into account.

"Turn End."

**(TURN 6)**

Yuuki had almost expected her attack: he was pleasantly surprised that she had already started to follow his advice.

"Start Step, Core Step and Draw Step."

He completed all the passages and placed his fingers on one of the Spirits on his field.

"I go directly to the Attack Step with The Sacred Gugnir."

This time Elisabeth didn't hesitate to exploit her Nexus' effect: accumulating Cores useful for future moves for as long as possible.

"Take it from the Life. Thanks to my Nexus, I add a Core from the Void to my Reserve."

Yuuki lowered his arm, curious to see how skilled she will be.

"Turn End. You're on, Elisabeth."

**(TURN 7)**

Elisabeth took a deep breath and scanned her cards. It was the moment to act, before Yuuki could draw more cards: she had all the necessary pieces.

"Alright. Start Step, Core Step, Draw Step."

She already knew the added card, so she took the one that would open the games.

"I summon Amenborg at level 1. Then, I bring Cherubim to level 3 and use the Magic Speed Star. During this turn, every time I'll deal any damage to your Lives, I'll get two Cores from the Void."

Yuuki raised an eyebrow and smirked. Elisabeth turned Cherubim.

"I start my Attack Step with Angelia Cherubim."

"Take it from the Life."

Elisabeth cheered inwardly, trying to keep her glee from showing outside: after all, her phase had only started. With two more Cores, she moved to the next Spirit.

"I attack with Amenborg. And Flash Timing: Same Tired, thanks to a borrowed Core from Cherubim. Thanks to its effect, you must have as many exhausted Spirits as mine. So, Berserker-Gun is exhausted."

Yuuki moved horizontally the card, the only Spirit which could have blocked her attacks.

"Take it from the Life."

Elisabeth's hand was already on her third Spirit. She hovered on it, alternating her gaze between her cards and Yuuki's field. She had Royal Potion: she could win, she was sure.

"Gremly attacks!"

With no haste, the White Soldier withdrew one of his cards and showed it to his opponent.

"Flash Timing: I use the Magic Mist Curtain. During this turn, Gremly can't deal damages to my Lives."

She groaned before she could stop herself: she was so close. She should have expected it: he'd not let himself be defeated effortlessly.

"As you wish. I attack with The Fairy Tanya and use again the Flash Timing."

She grinned ear to ear and revealed with a flourish the card kept aside from the start of that turn.

"Magic Royal Potion: Amenborg and Gremly are refreshed."

"Take it from the Life."

She brushed Amenborg with her fingers: it was the conclusive move. She could win. She beamed. She was going to win.

"Amenborg attacks a second time and hits your last Life!"

Yuuki smirked and grabbed a card from his hand. Her smile melted away.

"Flash Timing: Magic card High Elixir. I use a Core from The Sacred Gugnir and Berserker-Gun to pay the cost and so I can move two Cores from my Reserve to my Lives."

Elisabeth stayed open-mouthed, her hand still on the Spirit. She had again underestimated his cards.

"Take it from the Life." He returned one of the Cores to the Reserve with a flick of his hand.

She grumbled and crossed her arms. "How lucky that you _didn't_ battle for a long time."

"Don't be negative. Yours was an excellent turn and you hindered me. But another rule of Battle Spirits is never claiming victory too fast."

"Thanks for the practical demonstration", she quipped, rolling her eyes. But she couldn't help the little smile curving her lips. "Turn End. The Fruit of Wise Tree's effect refreshes my Spirits."

* * *

**A/N: Hello! I really wanted to update during the weekend, but I couldn't finish to edit it. But I didn't want to leave you until the next one, so Monday's update.**

**The duels have started. What do you think about them? I'm a little nervous.**

**A few notes. The cards that would be used, you saw, would belong to old sets. The reason is that Gekiha and Brave aired in Italy in 2011 and in 2012. I started the first outline (and the first version of this episode… yeah, it has a really eventful history) almost as soon as Brave ended. So, me and my brother used the cards that we knew (in a sort of tribute to the series).**

**But don't worry, it won't always be like this. Little by little, there'll be introduced cards and mechanics from later sets (not all mechanics, but don't worry, we'll not stay in prehistoric times).**

**Last thing. On the Italian site, at the end of the final chapter, I posted the decks and how the hands evolved during the turns. I can do the same, if you are interested, or not. Tell me.**

**A big thank you to all the people who read this story. I hope we'll see us again next time.**

**If you have any questions, comments, doubts or if you want to tell me what you think about it, feel free to leave a review. But, really, thank you even if you'll decide only to read.**

**Till next time!**

**Gate Open! Release!**

* * *

**(07/08/19) Original post date.**

**(07/29/19) Made some minor changes to the battles since I noticed (while translating; I'm really baffled that I've never spotted them before) a few mistakes. Nothing major, the endpoint of this chapter is the same for both duels.**

* * *

**Originally posted on "EFP il tuo sito di fanfiction": 30 October 2018 (revised version), 15 October 2013 (original version)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_Battle Spirit Tournament Final: Mai, with a purple-red deck, and Shiro, who used blue cards, face each other. During the first six turns, Mai lost three Lives, Shiro only one. After his last attack, bringing to twelve the cards discarded from Mai's deck, there are only Rainydle and The Sunstone Shrine on her field. Now the seventh turn starts._

"I wonder what you will do to avoid losing my next turn, Shinomiya."

**(TURN 7)**

Mai ignored her opponent's taunt: it'd take more than that to make her surrender. In Battle Spirits, sometimes it was necessary to wait, before launching a counterattack.

"Start Step, Core Step and Draw Step."

Mai saw the new card, and a confident grin curved her lips, grateful for all the discarded cards.

"Refresh Step. And now, Main Step."

She could almost see it, the violet aura crossed by golden bolts of lightning: they would have surrounded her if she had been there, on the battlefield. She could almost image herself spinning on her feet, hand raised high toward the sky and lightning unleashing from the card held between her fingers.

_Thunder, tear the sky._

"I summon The ThunderEmperorDragon Siegwurm at level 1."

If she closed her eyes, if she forgot the crowd around her, she could hear the clash of lightning and the powerful roar of the dragon. For a fleeting moment, she felt her hair swaying, thrashed by the scaly wings of the dragon that would have been behind her.

She'd have wanted Dan to see her.

Her show was about to start.

"Then I bring Rainydle to level 2."

Mai moved the Core on the Spirit, and right away her fingers were again on the cards in her hand.

"I use the Magic Extra Draw. I acquire two cards from my deck and reveal the third one: if it's a Spirit, I can add it to my hand."

She moved swiftly cards and Cores. Shiro glared at her, almost hoping it'd be enough to figure out which cards she had drawn. It was obvious: the summoned Spirit would have a central role in her strategy. But he was more concerned by her likely next moves and how much impact Siegwurm's destruction could have. He had to take advantage of his higher number of Lives.

Mai turned upwards the third card, Dinonychusaw, and he grumbled about her dumb luck.

"Turn End."

**(TURN 8)**

Shiro scoffed: he was disappointed by her turn. With all the emphasis she put on it, he had anticipated much more. Her moves didn't make any sense. Why she summoned a Key Spirits if she wouldn't use it?

"I expected more. Start Step, Core Step and Draw Step."

If that was the Core Soldier's strategy, she'll only ease his victory. He'd prove his supremacy to everyone. He added the Spirit card drawn, keeping it aside for the perfect moment.

"Alright, Refresh Step and Main Step: I bring Rock-Golem and Block-Golem respectively to level 3 and 2 thanks to the Cores I take from The Honorable Fight. Attack Step: Rock-Golem strikes with _Demolish_."

Mai turned her Spirit.

"I block with Rainydle."

Shiro was delighted by how she had to put her Spirit in the Trash and discard her cards from the deck. The Depths of the Nether World, The RiseDragon Balmung, Danse Macabre and, last, The HellFencer Berith were the victims of that turn. Hushed whispers spread in the packed crowd.

"Core Soldier, unless you do something, you'll lose your deck before you can react."

**(TURN 9)**

"Worry about yourself, I can take care of myself," Mai retorted unconcerned by his words. She trusted her cards and her strategy.

"Start Step, Core Step and Draw Step."

And he was helping her to put in place all the pieces. She'd strike the definitive attack, but only at the right moment: she knew how she wanted to defeat him. Mai added the new card, pleased.

"Main Step: I summon Dinonychusaw at level 1 and bring Siegwurm at 2. Then, I deploy The Depths of the Nether World."

The nexus was placed near the other one. She wasn't sure if she'd use its effect, but she was far more interested in its Symbol.

"I use Extra Draw," she said smiling. "Do you remember its effect, don't you?"

Shiro shot her a furious glare. Mai drew two cards and revealed the third.

"Ankillersaurus is a red Spirit, so I can keep it."

The Purple Soldier settled her fingers on the Spirits on her field: it was time to shake things, to get an idea of her opponent's hand.

"Attack Step: The ThunderEmperorDragon Siegwurm strikes with _Clash_."

Her goal was crystal clear to Shiro: getting rid of the Spirits thinning her deck. He hoped she didn't think that was enough to corner him.

"I block with Block-Golem. Flash Timing: I use Magic Hammer borrowing Cores from Rock-Golem which is lowered to level 2. My Spirit gain 3000 BP reaching 8000 BP!" he declared. Then he smirked. "Oh, look: your Siegwurm only has 6000. What a pity to say goodbye so soon."

Mai rolled her eyes: listening to him was becoming so tiring.

"Glad you think so. I activate The Sunstone Shrine's second effect: sending one Life Core to the Void," she carried on placing the Core in the Core Pool, "I can keep my Spirit with _Clash_ destroyed during this turn. The ThunderEmperorDragon Siegwurm stays on my field unexhausted."

Shiro gritted his teeth and slammed his fist on the table, startling the audience and the referee, who shot him an outraged glare. He completely forgot about the Nexus and, in that way, she had managed to make him waste his Magic. For a moment, he saw himself as a mouse hunted by a cat, a cat enjoying teasing him.

He had to finish that battle before the Core Soldier could succeed in unnerving him.

"These little tricks wouldn't be enough to win. I'm still at an advantage, Shinomiya: you have only one Life Core. It'll be easy to destroy it."

Mai rested her chin on her hand. "Whatever. Turn End."

**(TURN 10)**

He hated the nonchalant tone she had used every time, even if he had far more chance to win than her: she didn't have the right to be so unflustered. He was the one pulling the reins of the game: he'd be the cat, he'd be the only winner.

"Start Step, Core Step and Draw Step."

The new card was a sign of his victory, but a new strategy was forming in his mind. If Mai wanted to destroy the Spirits diminishing her deck, he'd give her what she sought.

"Refresh Step and Main Step: I lower down Block-Golem to level 1. Then, I summon DarkDinohound at level 2."

He grinned: she'd fall into his trap. "Attack Step: it's Rock-Golem turn with _Demolish_."

As expected, Mai placed the cards in her Trash, Skulldemon and Killer Telescope, and right away moved her hand on the field.

"I block with The ThunderEmperorDragon Siegwurm."

Shiro snuffed the mocking laugh bubbling in his throat.

"Flash Timing: Magic card Victory Flame, borrowing Cores from DarkDinohound and Rock-Golem. I destroy Dinonychusaw and The Sunstone Shrine. You were too concerned about destroying my Spirit!" he said gloating. "Your move backfired. Now you're totally exposed."

But she didn't argue and collocated the two cards in her Trash.

"This is your end, Shinomiya. DarkDinohound attacks!"

Shiro searched for her eyes, eager to savour the defeat sweeping in, wiping out the mask of impassivity she had until that moment. Instead, Mai rested again her chin on her hand, eyes dancing with merriment.

"Oh, Shiro. Did none tell you that by playing with fire you could get burned? Flash Timing."

And she turned the card held between her fingers. He froze and blanched. He had undervalued the Purple Soldier's strategy once again. It should have been obvious that she'd have cards to counter his moves.

"Magic card Victory Fire: covering the necessary cost from Siegwurm, now at level 1, Block-Golem and DarkDinohound are destroyed."

Shiro pursed his lips and furiously put away the two Spirits, hands shaking from rage. Now, he understood her game: mocking him, making fun of him. He tightened his fist and placed it on the table, shooting her a hateful glare.

"Turn End."

**(TURN 11)**

Mai saw when his resolve started to crumble. She'd have pitied him; except she didn't have a scrap of sympathy for someone like him: he could learn a bit of humility.

"Start Step, Core Step and Draw Step."

She was ready to call on stage one of the main actors, waiting for the true protagonists.

"Refresh Step and Main Step," she said, looking back at him. She smiled, thinking of the white-purple aura that would have surrounded her.

"Now," _come from beyond the darkness, Curse champion_, "I summon The SevenShogun Beelzebeat at level 2."

She placed it near Siegwurm, delighted by the surprised expression of her adversary: he must have thought the dragon was her Key Spirit. He'd soon find out how much he was wrong.

"Beelzebeat's When Summoned effect: I can bring back from the Trash, without paying the cost, a number of Spirits with Curse whose total cost is 13 or less."

Mai flipped through her Trash, at last pulling out a card and placing it on the field with a Core on it: The HellFighter Balam, called back by its warlord. In a move, she had undone Shiro's bragged advantage.

"I summon again one of my Balam at level 1."

She could have won; she was sure he'd not be able to stop her. Shiro stiffened his fists, surely noticing she didn't summon her second Balam. She could have won, but it'd be too easy this way.

"Alright, Turn End."

**(TURN 12)**

The defying silence of the crowd, almost absolute since a few turns, vanished in a roar of voices. The shocked and baffled chatter filled the room, bouncing from mouth to mouth, from the referee to even Hideto and Kenzo. They two had full confidence in her, but her move caught them off guard: Mai had a clear chance at victory.

But none more than Shiro was appalled by her decision: she got him cornered, but she had stopped. A scorching fury seethed inside him: she was purposely making fun of him, she was showing to everyone how a little threat he was to her, how could she win when she desired.

He'd show her no mercy.

"That's enough, Core Soldier: you crossed the line!" he snapped. "You'll pay dearly. Start Step, Core Step and Draw Step."

He snatched the new card from the deck and, sparing it just a glance while carrying the Cores from the Trash to his Reserve, slammed it on the mat, soon followed by a second one.

"Main Step: I summon Erimakilizard and The TwinRowdy Diranos at level 2!"

He had to destroy her, to humiliate her, no matter what. He mulled on the necessary costs and the Cores available, and he realised he couldn't summon the Spirit that would give her the final blow. Even if Mai's peaceful and almost amused face was making him lose his temper, attacking would be a suicide move. He had to wait for one more turn: it was all he needed. And he'd win, in one way or another.

He heavily settled against the backseat. "Turn End. I'd enjoy your defeat slowly."

She'd lose, it had to be.

* * *

_Nakano's house: the battle carries on between Elisabeth, with a green-yellow deck, and Yuuki, with a white one. During her turns, she has tried many times to strike the final attack, getting every time blocked by White Magics. On Elisabeth's mat, there are four Spirits, on Yuuki's one only two. It's the beginning of the eighth turn._

**(TURN 8)**

Yuuki was having a good time, even if he didn't show it outside. Elisabeth had proved to be way less naïve than she made him believe, and with a resolve compensating her inexperience.

While focusing on the duel, he could shut off his thoughts, if only briefly: he didn't expect it to happen.

"Start Step, Core Step, Draw Step and Refresh Step."

He stared at the new card, smiling bitterly at the thought of what it should have meant.

_The frozen god of war._

_The lost royal family's symbol._

"Main Step. It's my turn to summon one of my favourite Spirits: The ArmoredSacred Walhalance at level 2."

He could see them in front of him, lightings striking and tearing apart the field, the giant shimmering ice mountain emerging. And, from it, the silver and golden armoured Spirit would have risen in all its majesty.

But they were on Earth.

Elisabeth, beyond the table, clenched her cards, well aware of that Spirit's power.

"Attack Step: Walhalance attacks."

"I take it from the Life."

He'd not risk further attacks during that turn: the white colour meant also patience, waiting for the opponent to show their weakness.

"Turn End. Your turn."

**(TURN 9)**

Elisabeth had always believed she'd feel intimidated when Yuuki would have summoned his Key Spirits. Instead, turn after turn, she felt an intensifying adrenaline rush, an enthusiasm that she never before experienced during a duel. It was a beautiful sensation.

"Start Step, Core Step, Draw Step and Refresh Step."

Luckily for her, the new card wasn't an obstacle to the move already decided the previous turn. Everything was running smoothly. She placed it on the mat without hesitation.

"Main Step: I summon BlackMonoqueiroz at level 2 and bring Amenborg and Gremly to the same level. Then, I bring Cherubim and Tanya to the third."

She held tightly the card between her fingers and took a deep breath. She had to trust in herself: she could win.

"I use the Magic Hand Reverse. I discard my hand and I draw new cards until I have the same number that you got in yours."

She grinned triumphantly placing the card in her Trash, the last she had. She took the first three cards of her deck, crossing her fingers. And she was rewarded, leaving her relieved and more determined than ever.

Elisabeth placed her hand on one of her Spirits, turning him.

"Attack Step: The Angelia Cherubim attacks."

Yuuki exhausted one of his ones. "I block with Berserker-Gun."

If it hadn't been too embarrassing, she'd have bounced on her chair. Instead, she just grabbed one card from her hand, revealing it with a grin.

"Exactly what I wanted. Flash Timing: I use Magic Wing Boots taking a Core from Tanya. Thanks to it, my Spirit can't be blocked by Spirits with an equal or lower level. The Angelia Cherubim strikes your Lives!"

The White Soldier raised an eyebrow, rather impressed by her moves. Then, he put the Life Core in his Reserve.

"My attack isn't finished," she added eagerly. "You won't be able to block all my Spirits. BlackMonoqueiroz attacks!"

But Yuuki smirked.

"Flash Timing."

"Oh, come on!"

"I use Magic Blizzard Wall borrowing a Core from Berserker-Gun. During this turn, my Lives cannot receive more than one damage."

Elisabeth slid against the chair, lips pursed and eyes wide open: he completely turned things around, as he had waited for such a move from the start.

It was her reward for ignoring that he had been a Core Soldier. She crossed her arms, sulking.

"I activate Angelia Cherubim's Brilliance ability and take back Wing Boots. Turn End and The Fruit of Wise Tree's second level effect activates: my Spirits are unexhausted."

**(TURN 10)**

Yuuki could see Elisabeht's disappointment. The challenge was meant to get him away from his thoughts and to persuade him to call his friends. She wanted to win but, nonetheless, it was still a battle. If he wanted to respect her dedication, he couldn't be any different.

"Start Step, Core Step, Draw Step and Refresh Step."

The White Soldier glanced at the cards on the mats. Elisabeth's seeming advantage in number could be turned in his favour with a careful, although risky, sequence of cards. It'd be like implementing in the white strategy a bit of the red typical boldness, betting on the absence in her hand of cards to defend herself. And Dan had shown him that far too much in their duels.

It had been so long.

"Main Step: I summon The Sacred Laevateinn at level 3 and bring Walhalance at the same level. Then, I bring Gugnir to level 2."

Elisabeth straightened, glancing to her Spirits and biting her lips.

Maybe he could launch the attack to try ending that duel in that same turn. But a part of him wanted to let it last a little longer. In those weeks he had forgotten how much he missed playing Battle Spirits. Or, perhaps, he hadn't wanted to think about it.

"Turn End."

**(TURN 11)**

Elisabeth tilted her head, staring with narrowed eyes Yuuki and his cards. Until that moment, he had perfect control over the battle. He had just summoned one of his Key Spirit, whose effect made her shiver only thinking about it.

She was sure that, had he chosen to attack, she'd have had to work hard to defend herself.

She huffed, letting go of the tension built up in the wait.

Did he want to test her?

Was it a bluff?

Did he want to give her a chance?

Elisabeth lifted her chin, pushing away those thoughts. If luck would be on her side, she could win. Maybe she'd make him regret underestimating her. She smiled: she'd make him call Mai.

"Start Step, Core Step and Draw Step."

She closed her eyes and drew the card. Slowly, she peered with one eye. Then, she widened both, struggling to believe it: she had drawn her Key Spirit. The Spirit gifted by her father only a few years before, before the tragic incident in Africa. Maybe it was a sign. Maybe luck was really on her side.

"Refresh Step and Main Step. I summon The SavageKnight Hercules at level 1 and use it as Tribute to summon my favourite Spirit: The Emperor Kaiseratlas."

Yuuki imperceptibly started, and Elisabeth couldn't help feeling a bit proud: she had finally succeeded in taking him off guard. It wasn't a big advantage, but she was determined to consider it a small victory.

"I pay the cost borrowing two Cores from Tanya and from Amenborg, Gremly and Cherubim to bring it to level 2."

It was time. She wouldn't get the next turn. Elisabeth swallowed, fixing a lock of hair behind her ear.

"And now, Yuuki, Attack Step: I attack with Gremly."

"I block with Laevateinn."

Elisabeth placed her Spirit in the Trash and did her best to not feel discouraged. She'd lose some Spirits; she has taken it into account. She brushed Wing Boots with her thumb, clutched between her fingers. Could she hope that Yuuki had forgotten the Magic?

"Tanya attacks."

"I block with Walhalance and The Sacred Laevateinn's effect activates. It refreshes."

Elisabeth rolled her eyes: nothing escaped him. He could have cut her some slack and blocked with Gugnir, she thought sourly. She blew away from her eyes a lock of hair, again slipped on her face.

At least, she didn't rely only on the Magic.

"I attack with Amenborg."

"I block with Laevateinn."

It was the third Spirit in a row that she had sent to the Trash. Elisabeth faltered, her hand hovering over the mat. She had only two choices: she could stop and be defeated in the next turn, or she could carry on and hope to have the slightest chance of victory. And, probably, be defeated in the next turn.

Elisabeth grinned. She had Kaiseratlas, it was worth a shot, even if the two cards in Yuuki's hand were rather frightening. But she didn't intend to give up.

"You have no choice with my Kaiseratlas!"

Yuuki grabbed one of his cards. Elisabeth glared at him.

"Flash Timing: Magic Diamond Strike borrowing a Core from Gugnir. Thanks to its effect, I can refresh one of my Armed Machine Spirits. I choose The ArmoredSacred Walhalance which I use to block your attack."

"Dumb Magics," she grumbled under her breath, placing her Key Spirit in the Trash.

Yuuki, meanwhile, had refreshed The Sacred Laevateinn again.

Elisabeth sighed and folded her hands on her lap. She had lost, and they both knew it. She lowered her gaze, smiling wistfully. She'd have to find a new way to convince him to call Mai: a rematch, maybe. And that idea cheered her up. She was upset, but it wasn't a total defeat. It had been the best duel she ever played. She only had a few, but it was by far the more exciting one.

She raised her head and smiled.

"Turn End. Your move, Yuuki."

**(TURN 12)**

Yuuki saw the moment when Elisabeth resigned herself to defeat. She didn't hold back even with her last chance of victory but granting her other turns would be a mockery. And a duel couldn't keep him forever away from everything, from his thoughts, from reality. Maybe, that extra turn, it wasn't an offer to her, but an excuse for him.

"Start Step, Core Step and Draw Step."

Yuuki remembered what Dan had told him a long time ago: the most important thing of Battle Spirits was having fun. And they had fun, both of them. It was time to end that duel.

The Cores on his mat glowed white for a blink of an eye.

"Main Step: I bring Berserker-Gun and Gugnir to level 2."

Elisabeth would not ask him to call Mai: he knew it.

"Attack Step: I attack with The Armed Sacred Walhalance and activate his effect. Every Spirit with 4000 BP or less is sent to your hand."

"I block with BlackMonoqueiroz," Elisabeth said picking up Cherubim and placing the Cores in the Reserve.

"The Sacred Gugnir attacks."

She brushed her last Core Life with the tip of her finger. Their eyes met. There was some disappointment in her green irises, but also a question.

_It was worth it?_

Yuuki smiled.

"I take it from the Life."

The duel was over. Elisabeth had lost. She got up and started to place the Cores in their box. Yuuki gathered the cards.

"It was a nice battle. Thank you."

She took her deck, a big smile on her face.

"Thanks. I know I didn't have many hopes, but I had fun. We should do it again, sometimes."

It hadn't been even a month since Yuuki woke up, she still had all the time to talk him into rekindling his friendship with the other Core Soldiers. Perhaps it was too early.

Yuuki tucked the deck in a pocket. Elisabeth grabbed the Core pool and the mats.

"It's a beautiful day. Let's have tea outside. What do you say?"

She made her way toward the house without waiting for a response.

"Elisabeth?"

She spun on her feet, interweaving her hands behind her back. "Do you need anything?"

"If you want, you can call Mai."

Elisabeth stared at him, blinking again and again. Then, her hands flew to her mouth, barely muffling a delighted squeal escaping from her lips.

"Right away!"

She laughed, darting for the house before he could change his mind.

Yuuki smiled, shaking his head. His eyes went again to the roses. His sister would have liked Elisabeth.

* * *

**(TURN 13)**

"I won't be the defeated one."

"The duel hasn't already ended, Shinomiya," he warned through his teeth, fuming. His gaze was full of hatred and rage.

"No, but it soon will be. Start Step, Core Step, Draw Step and Refresh Step."

She could guess all the questions crammed in his mind. What would she do? Would she attack? Would she use a Magic? Would she wait again? It was unlikely that he had guessed her reason. She wanted that duel to keep going; after everything he had said, he didn't deserve to be defeated by a mere Spirit. Even if he hadn't ever been a great menace.

She smiled, feeling like a predator with a trapped prey, waiting only to deliver the last blow. And the tensed boy was the proof.

"Main Step: I bring Siegwurm and Balam to level 3."

Shiro clenched his jaw, fingers tightening their grip around his cards. The spectators held their breath.

"Turn End."

**(TURN 14)**

A defying stunned silence dragged on, everyone gaping at her. And then it ended in an explosion of rushed whispers and dumbfounded voices.

"I never saw a duel like this."

"When there was still Bashin."

Those innocent words were the last straw, bursting the bubble of fury festering inside Shiro. She had treated him like a puppet, a pawn doing her bidding. She had mocked him.

They had compared her to Bashin. But he was better: he had to be the best. He would wipe out her maddening little smirk from her face, be the last thing he'd do.

"You should have ended this duel when you could. This is the beginning of your end, _Core Soldier_," he almost growled. "Start Step, Core Step, Draw Step and Refresh Step."

He snatched the first card of the deck and didn't even try to hold back his triumphant grin. He didn't need to destroy her Spirits or to remove her last pathetic Life. He had another weapon to defeat her. He slammed the card on the mat, followed soon by a second one.

"Main Step: I deploy The Golem Factory at level 1. Then, I summon The MobileFortress Castle-Golem at the same level borrowing Cores from Diranos."

Shiro's scorching fury against Mai's disdainful indifference.

"The MobileFortress Castle-Golem's summoning effect: for each one of my Nexus, you discard five cards. Shinomiya, do you still feel like laughing?"

Mai didn't lower her eyes and discarded one card after the other until ten were in the Trash: Extra Draw, Big Bang Energy, Deadly Balance, Humdump, The Sunstone Shirne, The Hellfighter Balam, Deadly Balance, Flame Cyclone, Skulldemon and last Bloddy Coffin. Her deck was almost paper-thin, but that move might have decided the outcome of the battle. And she smiled.

Shiro was on the brink to lose his control, blown away by Mai's nonchalance in her every gesture. He had got rid of ten more cards, he had nearly emptied her deck, and she didn't even blink.

If he couldn't win in that turn, something was telling him he'd lose.

But he couldn't attack. He'd be pointless, and it would leave him defenceless.

He had to hang on, just one more turn. Then, he'd draw a new card. He'd wipe out her deck. Just one turn.

He won't lose against her, not against a Core Soldier.

"Turn End."

**(TURN 15)**

Mai didn't react immediately, her attention was drawn to what was left of her deck. His card was still there, spared by the blue destruction and made available. He believed to have cornered her, but he had only helped her.

"Start Step, Core Step and Draw Step."

Just little more than half a dozen cards, yet it was finally in her hand. Her smile faded, and her eyes shone colder: the stage was set, the protagonist has come. And the curtain could rose on the final act.

"Refresh Step. Main Step: I bring Siegwrum, Belzebeat and Balam to level 1. Then, I summon Skulldevil to level 1 and use The Seven Shogun Belzebeat as Tribute."

Shiro froze, and everyone gasped loudly.

The golden champion with the double symbol was ready to battle. She still remembered how the sky would have darkened, eerie and tense. And clouds would have been torn apart, a purple symbol descending and a golden armoured centaur coming forth.

And, despite it all, it was like being there.

"I summon The Seven Shogun Asmodios at level 1."

Shiro's mouth was opening and closing without uttering a sound. Only Hideto and Kenzo weren't surprised by the stronger and rarest new Spirit.

"It's impossible," he breathed at last.

"I activate Asmodios's summoning effect: two Cores from all your Spirit are sent to your Reserve. Further, since Belzebeat was the Tribute, you discard four cards from you hand."

He almost dropped the cards, his fingers losing strength. He moves every one of his defence, every card he could have used during the next turn in the Trash. Mai smirked.

"I use Magic Big Bang Energy: for the rest of the turn, all Astral Dragon Spirits in my hand have a cost equal to the number of Lives I have. Then the cost is one."

The card flickered red, and Mai startled. The faint glow blended in purple shades on the Cores. A heartbeat later, everything was normal, and none seemed to have noticed something unusual.

"I sacrifice The ThunderEmperorDragon Siegwurm, using it as a Tribute."

There would have been fire swirls that surrounded her, flames arising from the card.

"I summon The SupernovaDragon Siegwurm-Nova to level 1."

Shiro hadn't yet reacted, his daunted eyes staring vacantly at the mat and his face still ashen, overwhelmed by what was taking form in front of him, unable to accept or prevent it.

"Siegwurm-Nova's When Summoned effect: with The ThunderEmperorDragon Siegwurm as Tribute, my Life is brought to five."

While placing the Cores, Mai closed her eyes, imagining the azure light, the warmth of the new five shining Cores. Then, she opened them.

"It's the final act. Attack Step: The Seven Shogun Asmodios is first!"

Mai turned the card and Shiro, drawn to attention by the referee, mechanically took away the two Life Cores.

"Go, The SupernovaDragon Siegwurm-Nova. Clear away his last Cores."

The Purple Soldier didn't need to close her eyes. She saw it, as it was happening. The dragon took off and flew to her opponent.

She won.

_For Dan._

* * *

**A/N: Hello! Sorry for the delay, but while translating I spot some mistakes in the battles. I still wonder how I've never noticed it before. Well, I didn't want to leave you without an update for another week. So, really late update this time.**

**I hope you liked the battles. I tried to make them not boring, and, with Elisabeth, I wanted to avoid the "mockery" of inexperienced battlers (aka Zungurii, Plym… maybe Youth, I don't remember).**

**In the end, Yuuki won but chose anyway to call Mai and the other. I tried to convey how playing Battle Spirits helped him.**

**And Mai, well, she had a score to settle with **_**dear**_** Shiro.**

**Next time, we'll wrap thing up, see how Shiro would react to his defeat and how the Core Soldier would react to meet Yuuki again. Almost at the end of this episode.**

**A big thank you to all the people who read this story. I hope we'll see us again next time.**

**If you have any questions, comments, doubts or if you want to tell me what you think about it, feel free to leave a review. But, really, thank you even if you'll decide only to read.**

**Till next time!**

**Gate Open! Release!**

* * *

**Originally posted on "EFP il tuo sito di fanfiction": 16 November 2018 (revised version), 19 October 2013 (original version)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Shiro stared at the mats. He stared at it as if he couldn't fathom that he had lost.

He was the strongest battler.

He moved the Cores, slowly. He had been defeated by a Core Soldier.

"I declare the end of the match," announced the referee in a neutral voice. "The winner is Shinomiya Mai."

Shiro leapt on his feet and slammed his hand on the table. The chair capsized, crashing on the floor and silencing everyone.

"I can't lose!" He yelled, turning left and right with wild and accusatory eyes. "I'm the strongest battler! She had obviously cheated! It can't be considerate valid!"

He reached the referee, who took a step back to keep him at distance. "Nullify this battle!"

The man shot him a stern look. "The battle is valid. All the rules had been observed."

Mai got up and tucked her deck in her bag, attracting her opponent's attention. "You're only a filthy cheater, Shinomiya, like all the Core Soldiers!"

She sighed and turned, meeting Hideto and Kenzo's delighted gazes. She almost pitied him, trapped on his self-made pedestal.

"Bashin and Momose deserved all that happened to them!"

Mai froze. Hideto and Kenzo widened their eyes, the former slamming his hand on his forehead and the latter winching. The crowd stepped back. The referee was at a loss, aware that the situation was starting to degenerate. Some of Shiro's friends flanked him to try stopping him.

"You, little arrogant brat!" The Purple Soldier spun on her feet, eyes flashing, and pointing a finger to him. "Don't you _dare_. Don't you _dare_ talk about things you don't have a clue."

She took a few steps, stopping a few meters away from him, ignoring the referee who was trying to placate them.

"You blindly regurgitate what others had said, without even wondering about its meaning. You believe to know everything, but you know nothing. _Nothing_. You think yourself better than Dan, but you fight only for yourself and for showing off. Dan fought for others. And he had always done that, even when everyone turned their back to him!"

Mai took a breath, squeezing with her fingers the handle of her bag. Shiro looked away, gritting his teeth.

"None tried to believe to us Bearers of Core's Light. That's why someone like you, a little, egoistic and self-absorbed bully, could have never been chosen as a Core Soldier. You don't have the humility to admit you're wrong even against evidence. And you'd never have fought for anyone but you, while we were ready to sacrifice ourselves to defend this world. We had _paid_ for that. But you cannot understand it. Maybe you'll never understand it. True greatness is very different from what _you_ search for."

The Purple Soldier turned and joined Hideto and Kenzo, unaware of the few shy admired glances. Even the referee and his colleague, who flanked him in hope to calm things down, stared at her with wide eyes. Mai's speech, full of grief and passion, had left a mark.

Shiro wriggled free from his friends' hold and pushed forward, pointing a finger to her.

"You rant because you win. If I had won, I'd have proven again how a pathetic lot you are. And I'm a stronger battler than Dan! It's you who defeated me, not _him_!"

Mai turned again, pulling out a card from her bag and showing it to him. She was so tired to listen to that broken record: she used to pay attention for far too long.

"Siegwurm-Nova. It was Dan's. It was the card which allowed him to defeat many of his opponents: he destroyed the last Core Life of Otherworld King with it. Keep believing what you wish. It's useless to talk to those who don't want to listen."

Shiro recoiled, and Mai looked away. After a step, she stopped.

"One more thing. I used a deck like this one, a long time ago. And I even succeed in summoning Siegwurm-Nova. I lost anyway. Do you know who my opponent was? _Dan_. If you didn't stand a chance with me, you wouldn't have any with him."

He stepped back as if Mai had slapped him. He lowered his head, shaking it, and his friends pulled him back, fading among the stunned crowd.

Mai walked in the absolute silence, with her head held high and a confident look. She joined Hideto and Kenzo and smiled proudly.

"Mission completed."

Hideto grabbed her hand and tucked it in the crook of his arm, and they kept walking. Behind them, the crowd started whispering and split into smaller groups.

"Congratulations Mai," Hideto said while they reached the hall. "So much for not being the one who wants to attract attention. _Not like we want to repeat some particular experiences_."

She held a lock of hair and bowed her head, blushing. "I overreacted, didn't I? I won't do it again."

Kenzo smirked. "What it's right, it's right."

"Miss Shinomiya!"

The three halted, caught off guard, and saw coming toward them the woman who took care of the registrations a few hours before.

"This is the prize," she said in a no-nonsense tone, offering her a card. "I guessed you wouldn't be interested in a formal delivery."

Mai shook her head, accepting it with a small tilting of her head.

"Another thing," added the woman. "There's someone on the phone who wants to speak with you. A certain miss Nakano? It seemed important."

Hideto and Kenzo frowned, exchanging a glance, puzzled by that unfamiliar name. Mai, instead, blenched, her breaths more rapid and shallow.

"Where?"

"Come with me."

Hideto grabbed Mai's arm before she could step away, worried by her reaction.

"What's happening?"

"After," she whispered and walked away, following the woman. For every step she took, her heartbeat increased, and a gnawing feeling was growing in the pit of her stomach. Sending a message to Elisabeth, informing her when she'd not be able to answer her phone, it should have been only a precaution, like many times in those months. In case something happened.

They never needed it before.

The woman left her in a small office, pulling over the door behind her. Mai stayed motionless, hands trembling. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear what she had to say. She feared of already knowing it. It was more than a year. Maybe that was how it had to be. She felt tears prickling her eyes: she had to be strong. Mai brought the phone to her ear.

"Elisabeth? It's Mai."

"_Mai! Thankfully! I've already asked Kosuke to pick you up,"_ she trilled on the other side. _"You and your friend must come immediately! For the white rose!"_

* * *

Mai was the first to jump off the car, offering a smile to the driver. Hideto and Kenzo followed her, increasingly baffled and annoyed by all that mystery. A mystery that Mai refused to clarify, even when she came back from the call with a huge smile and bright eyes.

_We must go somewhere at once_ had been her only answer to their questions.

Only on the car, when it was clear that Mai knew the man who picked them up, she revealed that she met that girl in September. Kenzo was fast to connect the dots, realising that had to be Mai's infamous problem of that day.

The front door swung open, and a girl, with a bright orange dress and a braid swaying on her shoulder, exited. Laughing, she flung her arms around Mai.

"I'm so glad you all come!"

She let go of Mai, bowing with a smile toward the two boys.

"Welcome, Core Soldiers."

Hideto and Kenzo, until that moment puzzled and exasperated, were now completely bewildered.

"Thanks for calling us," Mai chimed in. "They're the Blue Soldier Suzuri Hideto and the Green Soldier Hyoudo Kenzo. She's Nakano Elisabeth."

Elisabeth swung on her toes, lowering slightly her gaze. "I'd have called before, but he didn't want to listen to reason. It was a headache trying to convince him."

"Who's he?" Hideto snapped, promptly ignored by both girls.

"That sounds like him, trying to face everything alone," Mai agreed with a smile.

Elisabeth nodded, beaming again. "Let's get you to him, aright?"

She went back in, and the Purple Soldier followed her, waving to the others to come after her. Hideto and Kenzo, still kept in the dark, were starting to lose their patience but they trusted Mai. After a hallway, they got through a glazed porch connected to a little greenhouse. In there, an old lady was attending to some plants. From there, they entered in a garden, divided into a traditional Japanese part and a more occidental one. They reached their destination, a wooden bungalow, following a paved path.

Elisabeth stopped and met their eyes. "I'll leave you now. I guess you'll have much to talk about. Take all the time you need."

She lingered to briefly squeeze Mai's hand, sharing with her an excited smile. Left alone, Hideto and Kenzo turned to Mai, waiting for her to make the first move. The Purple Soldier breathed in and out, then nodded and walked forward, followed by the other two.

There were a coffee table and some seats under the bungalow.

And there was a boy, seated with his back turned to them. A light blue-haired boy.

Hideto and Kenzo froze, not able to utter the tiniest sound. Mai had a hand over her mouth, eyes brimming with tears.

The boy, leaning on the armrests, got up with some difficulties and turned towards them with a tight smile on his lips.

"Long time no see."

"_YUUKI?"_

* * *

When sunset dyed the sky in pink, orange and purple, the four Core Soldiers were still there, seated around the table. After the first emotional minutes went by, so full of excitement and shock, they started recounting everything that happened in that year and a half, voices overlapping. They had so much to tell.

The sweets and the tea brought by Elisabeth were all eaten. Kenzo was lazily munching the last one.

And, even after all those hours, they struggled to believe that all was real. After meeting Shiro, finding Yuuki alive had a completely different taste. It was like payback for everything they went through.

"And you knew it since September?" Kenzo sounded hurt.

"Why you didn't tell us?" The Blue Soldier chided.

Mai sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, twisting its tip.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't want to put in danger anyone of you. And I didn't want to give you false hopes. You'd have only suffered."

The two boys nodded. Even if they didn't completely agree with her decision, they understood her point of view: the White Soldier's awakening had been unhoped-for, and they had just lost Dan.

"What now?" Hideto broke the long silence. "Yuuki can't possibly come back as nothing happened. Everyone believes you died almost one and a half year ago."

Mai and Kenzo turned toward the White Soldier. He didn't answer for a long time, staring quietly at the flowers of the garden.

"I don't know. My rehabilitation isn't complete yet, and I didn't have anything to go back to. And, perhaps, it'd be a too big risk. I'll have to discuss it with Elisabeth's family too."

"I'm sure they'll help you," Mai added softly. "Elisabeth has grown fond of you."

Yuuki sighed, averting his gaze.

"So many things happened while I was in a coma. Too many. I don't think I've already grasped how much time has really passed. When I woke up, I thought that it was after a few hours. From now on, I need to sort things inside and outside of me."

Kenzo wiped his mouth with a napkin and looked at them.

"Now we're together: it's the most important thing. It'll be easier to deal with everything."

"I don't think it's wise," Yuuki argued. The others stopped mid-track. "It'd be safer to not see each other too much, at least for a while. It's better that you carry on your way, as you have done in these months."

Mai twisted a lock of hair around her finger. "But you'd be alone. Aside from us and Elisabeth's family, none know that you're alive. We want to stay by your side, to help you."

"And I appreciate that, but this is something I have to face alone."

The other three could only accept it: the White Soldier was right to some extent, and they wouldn't manage to change his mind. More time they spent together, greater was the chance to attract attention. Besides, in those last few years, they weren't able to care for themselves. At Grand Lolo they were little more than children, then there was the notoriety, the attacks, the journey to the future. They had only a brief respite between Yuuki's presumed death and Kazan's call, a few months that weren't enough to truly understand who they were or what they wanted to be.

Hideto lent against the chair and intertwined his fingers behind his head.

"My parents wish that I try my hardest to enrol to University. Medicine. Haven't decided yet. I know that I don't want to give up my travels. I've learned so much, things that I'd never learned. But I want to make them proud of me. After that stunt, leaving Japan, then the future…"

"They'll be proud, no matter what," Kenzo insisted. Hideto chuckled.

"Perhaps it won't be so bad. I took an interest to it before. There has to be a way I could keep up with you."

Kenzo grinned, eyes dancing with merriment. "I'll become a great scientist. I'll find solutions that none thought about; I'll prove to everyone that we don't need Mother Core to do better. Working together with a scientist from the future has to give me a head start!"

The Blue Soldier gave him a pat on the back, their laughs mingled. Mai smiled softly and turned her eyes toward the sky, to its fleeting hues of gold, red and orange, warm and soft. They were already starting to fade away, replaced by blue and purple on all the sky.

A heavy wistfulness seeped inside her: it felt like a _farewell_.

"I think I'll create a new blog," she whispered, drawing the others' attention on her. "I'll be more present on social media. So many people still rely on us. And I feel there is so much I still can talk about. Many problems. Many people's sufferings."

The same feeling spread on the other Core Soldiers' faces. They had to part once again. Even if they had a single goal, they had to find their own way. Their friendship would be tested once again, like before going to the future, when they had risked losing each other. And they would have to trust their own strength, walking on different parallel paths. They had to grow, and it was scary because they couldn't know if all of them would be there waiting.

Above their heads, a few dim stars dotted the sky, clouded from pollution and the lights of Tokyo. The first one that Mai saw seemed to flicker in a pale red glow. She blinked and smiled.

"It's not a farewell. We can stay in touch, any time of day or night. You won't get rid of me so easily."

Hideto was the first to return her smile, as always impressed by the two ever-present halves of Mai: the unstoppable fury and the comforting tenderness.

And she was right. They were the Core Soldiers. Distance won't be enough to split them apart, and they'll keep on being part of each other lives.

"You'll regret it when our email and message will wake you up in the middle of the night. And I expect to be notified of any news. So, by the time in a few months that we'll meet again, it'll be as we had never been apart. And we could battle!"

Kenzo had often ended up as the younger one. At home, at school, even among the Core Soldiers. And despite this, travelling with them made him a better person, more altruistic and less arrogant. And he felt that the age gap didn't matter anymore. He became more confident: he owed it to them.

"I'll keep putting up with you," he said, straightening his glasses and smirking. "But I won't mind it. And I'm here for any Battle Spirits challenge."

Yuuki watched the other three, three of the people that for the first time he had been able to call _friends_. Ever since he met them, they had changed his perception of the world. Before them, his life had been lonely, and only Kajitsu had been a part of it. Since Grand Lolo, all had been different. Not just because his loved sister was gone, but because, thanks to them and Dan, he had been able to stand up again and to move on.

Even if guilt lingered, even if believing that one day, in another era, he'd meet her again was still what was giving him strength. And when that day would come, he would be able to tell her that they had chosen well, that the Core Soldiers were the best people they could have ever met. Thanks to them, he had changed or, maybe, he had become the person he was meant to be from the start. Even if he still feared Otherworld King's worlds could become true.

"When I'm recovered, we could try to meet. But we'll have to be careful."

Mai was sure that they'd be all together soon, that they won't lose sight of each other. She felt light and hopeful, as she had not felt in a long time. Even hoping to see again Dan and Grand Lolo didn't seem so foolish anymore. And she was confident that it wasn't any different for the others.

In the end, they stood up, in silence: no more words were needed. Yuuki refused their hands, but they stayed near. Slowly, to not overtire the White Soldier, they walked towards the gate going around the house.

Once there, they said goodbye.

While Mai, Hideto and Kenzo walked down the road, Elisabeth flanked Yuuki. Then, they turned and went back toward the house.

Soon, even the other three would part and start their path.

It was the beginning of a new life, a new adventure.

Even if Battle Spirits would not be a big part of it, they would always be the Core Soldiers.

And Magisa had promised. One day, Grand Lolo's gate would open again. They had to believe in that.

In the sky, two stars twinkled, and their colours faded in red and green. Another one, above them, higher in the velvety deep blue, shone as bright as Mother Core.

And if Grand Lolo and Earth would ever need them again, it was an answer only the future could give.

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**A/N: Hello! Here we are, the last chapter. And the Core Soldiers are at least reunited.**

**With the next one, Episode 1, we'll find them grown up. But before that, we'll do a little detour into the past, in those two years between Gekiha and Brave. I won't immediately post that fanfic, probably I'll start in September. But don't worry, I have a few more little fanfics to post in the meantime!**

**I know that there still much I could improve (and little mistakes in the chapters), and I'll always do my best to better my writing and my English.**

**When I wrote the first version of this fanfic, almost **_**six**_** years ago, I've hoped it could reach other Battle Spirits fans. And it happened then. And it happened now. It was so heart-warming to see people read it from all other the world. Belgium, France, Guam, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy (ciao a tutti!), Malaysia, Nicaragua, Philippines, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam… a big thank you to all of you! Maybe not everyone stayed, maybe not everyone liked it, but so many people gave it a chance. So really really thank you! I hope we'll see us again next time.**

**A big thank you to GalladeKnight, 26 and thestarslayer for adding this fanfic to their favourites. And a special one to TL-chan, for all her kind and wonderful reviews!**

**If you have any questions, comments, doubts or if you want to tell me what you think about it, feel free to leave a review. But, really, thank you even if you'll decide only to read.**

**Till next time!**

**Gate Open! Release!**

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**Originally posted on "EFP il tuo sito di fanfiction": 13 November 2018 (revised version), 23 October 2013 (original version)**

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**PREVIEW TIME:**

Much happened before August 30th. Fame overwhelmed the Core Soldiers, acclaimed stars. But the wind changed, praises turned into accusations, and everyone left them. They kept defending Grand Lolo's truth, but slowly their resolve was eroded. Only Dan and Yuuki didn't give up. Until the tragic epilogue. Then a new mission called. A new adventure, a chance to find themselves again.

**Battle Spirits – Lost Two Years**


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